


Make A Little Magic

by Eilera



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Cults Be Cray, Dorks in Love, Drama, Hurt/Comfort, Lots of Epic Magic, M/M, Mages, Magic, Matt is a Mage, Memory Loss, Mutual Pining, References to Past Torture - Not Explicit, Shatt, Shiro is a Werewolf Stuck in His Wolf Form, There's a dragon, Werewolves, Written For the Shatt Big Bang, accidental enslavement
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-07
Updated: 2019-06-07
Packaged: 2020-04-12 08:46:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 33,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19128592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eilera/pseuds/Eilera
Summary: “Oh, but where are my manners? I haven't introduced myself, gentlemen. My name is Matt Holt, and I'm a Circle mage for her Majesty Queen Allura Altea, Second of Her Name, Lady of the Sea, Breaker of Stuff, Mother of All, and a bunch of other titles I'm too tired to think of right now. It's my job to keep the peace and you,” he paused, looking them over. “you are not being very peaceful.”(In which Matt is a mage of considerable power working for the Queen and Shiro is his partner, a werewolf stuck in his wolf form with no memories of his past.)Written for the Shatt Big Bang with artwork by the amazingly talented Skydarko.





	Make A Little Magic

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, the time has finally come to share this monstrous fic. This was written for the [Shatt Big Bang](https://shattbigbang.tumblr.com/) which I also ran and holy crap, this was a journey! The minimum word limit was 10K...of course I went well over that. I hope you enjoy it regardless. 
> 
> Artwork for this fic is brought to us by [Skydarko](https://twitter.com/Sky_Darko_) who has been such a great partner and is an all around amazing person. Please send her your love. Seriously, she's phenomenal. 
> 
> Special thanks to [DeathByStorm](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeathByStorm/works) for beta'ing as usual.

Morvok sniffed and wondered, not for the first time, how his life came to this:

Crouched in a bear shit-covered bush hoping some hapless buffoon would wander into their trap.

No one told him the bandit life was going to be like this. Where was his booze? Where were all the ladies he could possibly want?

Where the fuck were his drugs?

Now he was hungry and desperate, and he really needed a win right now. If he didn't get these guys at least some ale tonight they were going to be impossible to control.

Morvok didn't believe in gods and maybe that was his mistake.

“Boss!” Sniv hissed, tapping him annoyingly on the back.

Morvok sighed. “What.”

“Someone's coming!”

Morvok blinked, squinting into the morning fog. He would never in a million years admit to his failing eyesight. That was the last thing he needed to worry about these days.

Sure enough, a lone figure walked along the snow-covered dirt road. A heavy cloak obscured their body from view.

Perfect. See? Morvok didn't need help from the gods. He just needed patience.

And a whole boatload of desperation.

“Gentlemen, looks like we’re gonna have some _company_ tonight.”

The men chuckled darkly.

“I can't tell if it's a guy or a girl,” Sniv whined.

“Does it fucking matter?” Morvok growled. He wasn't about to be picky when he hadn't gotten some in weeks.

The others were silent. No one could really argue with that.

“Alright, boys, get ready,” Morkvok whispered, gesturing sharply at the men assembled around him. “Let them walk into the trap and then pounce. This time _wait_ for the lightning to dissipate first, dipshits.”

There was a chorus of nods as everyone hunkered down behind their respective bush and/or tree.

As the figure drew closer, Morvok could make out more of their features. The heavy cloak looked worn and weathered, probably a frequent traveler. He couldn't see any sign of a sword, though the cloak may have been hiding it. They did have a staff, but it may as well have just been a walking stick. It just looked like a branch the traveler picked up on the side of the road.

A messenger, maybe? They didn't always have a horse, especially when traveling through rough terrain.

Morvok and the others held their breaths as the stranger stepped closer to the trap hidden under the snow. Morvok was only just barely talented enough in magic to be able to lay a simple lightning trap. It was what put him just that little bit above the others in terms of power and meant he was the leader of this ragtag group of shitheads.

His momma would be so proud.

If he ever knew who she was.

Morvok’s fingers tightened around the hilt of his sword. One more step and the traveler would be screaming.

The figure stopped just short of their trap.

“Well, well, well what do we have here?” the stranger called out with a distinctly male voice, hood turning eerily to look directly at their hiding spot. “Is this a trap?”

Shit, they must have been spotted.

Probably Sniv’s fault. It was _always_ Sniv’s fault.

With a growl of frustration, Morvok gestured for the others to stand up with him. He rose slowly, feeling like a total badass as the others joined him.

They must have been a terrifying sight to this lone traveler. Morvok was a big guy, surrounded by six archers and grasping his only slightly rusted sword.

Guy was probably quaking in his boots.

“Give up without a fight and we'll be gentle with you tonight,” Morvok demanded, pointing his sword at the man.

“Oh,” the stranger said, slowly raising his hands to take off the hood of his cloak. Long, brown hair tumbled from the hood, tied up in a leather thong. His golden-brown eyes were not as scared as Morvok had anticipated. “You're _those_ kind of bandits, eh? Well, that makes this a lot easier on us.”

Us? Morvok scanned the snow-covered trees. This guy was definitely alone.

“I'll admit, I almost missed your trap. This is what happens when _someone_ makes me get up at the asscrack of dawn.”

What was this guy talking about? There was no way he could have seen the trap.

The stranger heaved a put-upon sigh. “Ah well, if you gentlemen care to put down your weapons, we will consider going easy on you.”

There was that ‘we’ again. There was no one else there.

Alright, maybe Morvok _wouldn't_ be fucking this one. He'd learned long ago not to stick his dick in crazy.

“I think you misunderstand this situation, friend. There's seven of us and only one of you. Surely you don't think you can beat all of us?”

The stranger's face split into a shit-eating grin.

“You're wrong on both counts there, _pal_. I can easily destroy you and,” he paused, giving them all a cheerful wink. “I'm not alone.”

From out of the fog came a terrifying snarl, deep and dark and _angry_. The hairs on the back of Morvok’s neck stiffened in fear. Something shifted, white on white, not quite visible but most certainly _there_.

One of his comrades took an unconscious step back.

“Stay on him!” Morvok snapped, trying to ignore the sweat dripping down his back. “There's still seven of us! Fire your arrows!”

A small volley of arrows rose to the sky like a flock of drunken birds.

Okay, maybe he needed to have them practice shooting more than drinking.

The stranger raised his hand casually, almost bored, drawing a glowing green symbol in the air too fast for Morvok to make it out. The arrows clattered to the ground, fletching encased in stone.

“Wha-"

Before Morvok could even attempt to contemplate the level of magic required to target multiple arrows at once, there was a furious roar and an enormous wolf launched from the misty fog.

Morvok just about shit himself in terror.

“He’s a mage!” Someone screamed as his companions dropped their bows, trying to flee from the mage and his wolf- by the gods, could Morvok even call that a wolf, it was fucking gigantic- but a wall of earth sprung up behind them, blocking their retreat.

Before an escape plan was more than a gleam in his eye, they were trapped. He shoved Sniv away, but the walls inched closer, forcing them to huddle together and try and pretend they didn't notice the stench of fear induced urine.

One wall disintegrated into strips of sand, leaving thick, sturdy bars in its wake. The mage stood just on the other side, far enough away that Morvok couldn't reach him with his maybe more than a little rusty sword.

The mage’s eyes sparkled with amusement. “Well, that was fun for the entire three seconds it took. A new record, eh Shiro?”

The terrifying demon wolf stalked closer, fur still on edge and eyes way too intelligent for even an uncommon animal such as it. This close, Morvok could see it had one golden eye and one silver. Its right front leg was a stunning wood and metal design glowing a soft purple. Magic.

Scars crisscrossed its body, marring the pure white fur with some kind of intricate design. He couldn't seem to make out the details. The scars appeared to shift and move when he focused on them for more than a moment. Even as he squinted at it the scars disappeared.

This was no ordinary wolf.

The wolf's nose twitched, and the mage blinked.

“What?” he said, looking at the wolf. “No way.”

Was...was he speaking to his wolf?

The mage stepped a bit closer to the cage wall, sniffing. After a moment he wrinkled his nose is disgust.

“Oh, c'mon, seriously? One of you pissed yourself?” the mage frowned, annoyed.

Morvok’s band of hardened criminals shifted uneasily.

Groaning in mock woe, the mage pointed to his companion. “It was me that scared you that much, right? Not the wolf? Look at him, he's a darling.”

If you considered horrifying monsters ‘darlings’ then Morvok could agree with that.

“I-I was scared of the wolf,” Sniv whispered, holding his hand up like he was a child being scolded.

The mage threw his hands up in despair and the wolf almost seemed to be grinning.

What the hell kind of fucked up world did Morvok wake up to this morning?

“Fine, fine. You win this round, Shiro,” the mage sighed, shaking his head as the wolf (Shiro?) straightened proudly.

Maybe Morvok _had_ gotten his hands on some drugs because he felt like he was tripping balls right now.

“Okay, let's get down to business to defeat...lawlessness.”

Morvok watched as the mage inscribed another symbol in the air. This time, the symbol stayed suspended, glowing with a bright green light that throbbed with life. The mage proceeded to stick his entire arm in it, rummaging around like he was searching for something.

“Ah! There it is!” he exclaimed, withdrawing his hand now clasping a thick book.

Waving his hand dismissively, the green symbol disappeared in a shower of lights as the mage turned to the book, flipping through the pages without touching them.

Morvok knew that book. It was the Queen's, used to keep a record of wanted criminals throughout Altea.

Fuck. Not only did they try and fail to capture an honest-to-god mage, but he was a mage of the Circle no less.

They were doomed.

“Morvok, this looks like you,” the mage finally said, turning the book around so Morvok could see the drawing of himself next to a list of crimes. Damn, it was a very good drawing. Those mage artists were terrifyingly talented.

The mage turned back to the book. “Wanted for: robbery, kidnapping, several counts of assault, stealing and...public urination. Gross.”

“It was an accident."

“It says here you did it three times.”

“I...I was very drunk.”

“Of course, you were,” the mage’s smile sent a shiver down Morvok’s spine. It did not reach those golden-brown eyes.

“Oh, but where are my manners? I haven't introduced myself, gentlemen. My name is Matt Holt, and I'm a Circle mage for her Majesty Queen Allura Altea, Second of Her Name, Lady of the Sea, Breaker of Stuff, Mother of All, and a bunch of other titles I'm too tired to think of right now. It's my job to keep the peace and you,” he paused, looking them over. “you are not being very peaceful.”

“We’re sorry,” one of the others pleaded, Morvok couldn't tell if it was Yorak or Throk.

Matt smiled that same chilling smile. “You will be.”

There was an awkward moment of silence as nothing happened.

“Ah, shit sorry. I can never get the timing right. You'll be sorry right abooooooout….nooooooow. Now.”

That was when the ground opened up beneath them and they fell into darkness.

When Morvok awoke to a dark cell surrounded by castle walls, he was mostly relieved.

\-------------------------------------------

Matt couldn’t remember what he expected his life to be when he was a kid.

But he was pretty certain it wasn’t this.

“You can’t bring _that thing_ in here.”

“He’s not a thing. His name is ‘Shiro’.”

The innkeeper stared at him like he’d turned into a toad.

Pfft, as if he hadn’t already learned to do that when he was six, c’mon.

She pointed incredulously at the very large, very conspicuous wolf sitting calmly next to him.

“We don’t allow their kind in here. I’m allowed to refuse service as I see fit and we don’t cater to magical wolves.”

Matt gritted his teeth in anger. “Werewolf, actually, and he’s just stuck that way.”

“It’s not a full moon.”

“Curses be cray, like I said, he’s stuck.” Matt patted the wolf on the head gently. “Would you put a poor, cursed guy out in the cold?”

“No creatures, cursed or otherwise, in the inn. I don’t want people to think I let just anyone into my establishment.”

Matt peered at the dirty tables littering the inside of the inn. There was a man passed out on one of the tables and a pickpocket was already looting his prone form. Matt looped an arm around the innkeeper’s shoulder. “Isn’t it a little too late for that?”

“Get out.”

Matt shook his fist angrily at the inn door as it slammed in his face.

“Well, that didn’t go well.”

“ _I’m sorry,”_ Shiro’s tired voice swept through Matt’s brain like a gentle breeze.

“Not your fault they’re _racist_! You’re a human being stuck in a wolf’s body, what’s so hard to understand about that? The Queen changed the laws years ago, magical creatures should have just as many rights as anyone else.”

_“I know you didn’t want to spend another night camping out.”_

Matt sighed. No, no he did not want to do that. But he wasn’t going to be a total asshole and leave Shiro out in the cold. It was supposed to snow again, and Matt certainly didn’t want anyone to be stuck out in that, let alone his best friend.

_“Aren’t they supposed to let Circle mages in?”_

“Yeah, but I’m not gonna force them. It was pretty crowded in there and they probably saw how much space you’d take up ‘cause you’re fat.”

_“I’m not fat, it’s the fur.”_

Matt stuck his tongue out at his companion, shoving his hands into his pockets. His cloak did a pretty good job of keeping him warm, but tonight was going to be pretty damn cold.

“Looks like we’re gonna be snuggle buddies again.”

_“Don’t drool on me this time.”_

Matt squawked. “That was _one_ time, c’mon. Besides, you snore like a drunken ogre.”

_“I don't snore.”_

“Hate to break it to you, pumpkin, but you snore.”

They meandered a little ways out of town, searching for a decent spot to camp out for the night. It was already dark, and Matt let Shiro guide him with his night vision instead of making a light with his magic. Shiro didn't much like bright lights in the dark and Matt didn't mind when it meant he could dig his fingers into Shiro's thick coat and trust him not to lead them astray.

He ignored the fluttering of his heart when Shiro excitedly bounced around a small clearing perfect for camping. He continued to ignore it when he conjured a fire and Shiro seemed to melt at the heat, looking so damn content and sleepy. He ignored it even more when he snuggled up against Shiro’s thick fur and Shiro curled around him, protective and a warm and-

Matt shouldn't be thinking like that.

Matt had met plenty of people who couldn't seem to understand that Shiro wasn't some animal. He was a human being trapped in a wolf's body. True, he’d been trapped in said body for the entire time Matt had known him, which was coming up to ten years now, but even still. He was way too courageous and way too intelligent to be a simple beast.

He was Shiro.

Matt's best friend.

And Matt maybe, kind of, sort of, definitely had a crush on him.

A crush that had been with him for the majority of their partnership and currently showed no signs of waning.

It was a little fucked up, given the circumstances, but Matt's entire life was kind of fucked up.

Matt burrowed deeper into the soft fur, just about ready to doze off into slumber when a bright pink light flashed across his vision. He blinked away stars as a small scroll hovered in front of him surrounded by a pale glow.

Matt frowned, reaching out to snatch the message from the air. Shiro’s wet nose grazed his cheek as he peered over Matt’s shoulder.

_Holt,_

_Return to the Circle. Immediately._

_Iverson_

 

Beautiful fanart by [skydarko](https://twitter.com/Sky_Darko_/status/1137619826803953664)!!

\-------------------------------------------

“Shiro,” Matt whined, letting the ‘o’ linger.

No response.

“Shiro!” He upped the volume, watching as Shiro’s left ear swivelled towards him. The bastard could hear him, c’mon.

Still no answer.

“What do you think Iverson wants?”

“ _Whatever it is, it’s probably more important than your comfort._ ”

Matt let out a long, loud groan, slumping over sideways to drape himself over the large, white wolf beside him. Shiro didn’t even stumble with the sudden weight, almost as if he had been expecting it. “My feet hurt.”

_“I don’t know what you expect me to do about it,”_ Shiro’s amused voice drifted through Matt’s brain.

“Carry me!”

_“No.”_

Matt dug his fingers into Shiro’s thick fur, scratching behind his ear where Matt knew he was weakest. The wolf immediately turned into mush beneath him, tail wagging and eyes closing in bliss.

_“No fair.”_

Matt cackled, pulling his hand away reluctantly. He would never in a million years admit how much he liked petting Shiro. Their situation was weird enough as it was.

“How much longer until we get home?”

“ _Long enough for you to whine about it._ ”

“I wouldn’t whine if _someone_ would let me ride them.”

A wave of disinterest washed over Matt through their connection and he gave an indignant squawk.

“Yeah? You wanna be like that? There are other ways to travel, you know.”

Shiro paused, turning his piercing silver and gold eyes on him as Matt pulled out his Big Book of Criminals. “ _No._ ”

“I wanna sleep in a bed tonight! It’s cold!“

” _No_.”

Matt pouted, trying to open the book discreetly.

“ _Matt!_ ”

“You’ll thank me later when we’re toasty warm!” Matt grinned, pressing the sigil drawn in the book.

“ _Allura said we’re not supposed to use that_ -”

And that was when the ground opened up and swallowed them whole.

  
\-------------------------------------------

Shiro opened his eyes to find himself in a dark, dingy cell. The walls were covered in various scratch marks, courtesy of its former occupants. Someone had etched out what Shiro could only assume were supposed to be breasts on the back of the wooden door.

He should tell Allura about that.

“ _I hate you_ ,” Shiro sighed, watching as Matt sauntered up to the iron bars and started clanging one of his daggers against them, loudly.

“Hey! Hey! Anyone out there? I’m buddies with the Queen! It’s the World’s Most Dashing Mage, Matthew Holt!”

“ _World’s Most Troublesome Mage, maybe._ ” 

Someone down the hall cursed, setting down what sounded like a huge stack of papers. Keys jingled before footsteps made their way towards them.

Matt stopped his clattering to take in the shadowed figure as it drew near. Oh no. No. It was too dark for Matt to see who it was but Shiro could.

“ _Matt-_ ”

But the mage just grinned, leaning against the bars in what Shiro could only assume was supposed to be a flirtatious manner but just came off like he was super drunk. “Hey, babycakes, is your name ‘Escape Tunnel’? ‘Cause I’ve been digging you all night.”

Shiro groaned internally as the figure stepped into the light.

Matt blanched.

“What have we said about using the book as a teleportation device, Holt?”

“Lotor!” Matt exclaimed, stepping away from the bars to move closer to Shiro. “Fancy meeting you here. What is the better half of the Queen’s consorts doing here?”

Lotor crossed his arms, eyebrows raising. “Security is my job. And I’m fairly certain you’ve told Romelle _she’s_ the better half.”

“Really? I don’t think I would say that. Have you heard me say that Shiro?”

Shiro gave him the side eye.

“Shiro!”

Lotor laughed, stepping closer to the bars. “Tell me you at least _tried_ to stop him, Shirogane.”

Shiro pawed carefully at the ground, giving Lotor a wink.

“I suppose there’s no controlling him.”

Matt bristled. “I am a free citizen!”

“You’re literally in a jail cell right now.”

“I can do whatever I want!” 

“Not when you’re under the Queen’s employ.”

“Nowhere in the fine print did it say I couldn’t save time by using the book to teleport back to the Castle! I just shaved off two weeks worth of travel time!”

Lotor sighed, casually rifling through the many keys dangling from a metal ring. “Part of me thinks you might learn if I leave you there. Perhaps a night in our fine dungeon will teach you a lesson?”

Matt stared at him, wide eyed.

Lotor let him sweat for a moment before separating one key from the rest. “But I couldn’t do that to Shiro.”

Matt grumbled as Lotor unlocked the door, pulling it open with a heave and bowing graciously as they scuttled out of the smelly room.

“ _Tell him there’s graffiti on the door._ ”

Matt crossed his arms. “Your door has boobs.”

Lotor choked.

Shiro sighed. Matt always put things so delicately around royalty.

  
\-------------------------------------------

“HOLT, GET YOUR ASS TO MY OFFICE, NOW!”

Matt rolled his eyes, completely unaffected by everyone staring at him in amusement. Shiro grinned internally. Matt’s lack of shame was something to be admired.

And feared.

Always feared.

He followed behind Matt as he leisurely made his way towards Iverson’s office, trying to ignore the stares of the other mages and the slack-jawed gaping of the students. Matt was a bit infamous with the trainees and he didn’t often come to headquarters like this, so they weren’t exactly used to seeing Shiro.

As they neared Iverson’s door, Matt turned to give him an apologetic look.

_“It’s fine,”_ Shiro said, settling himself down right beside the door. _“Try not to piss him off so much.”_

Matt snorted. “Yeah, like that’s ever gonna ha-”

“Wow, you really do have such good control over him!” a voice exclaimed and Shiro looked over to see two Circle mages, one male and one female, the latter of whom was gushing over Shiro. “The others said he was like a wild animal when you first brought him in.”  

Matt frowned. “I don’t control him.”

“Well, I mean-”

“He’s a human being, Nadia.”

Shiro couldn’t see colour, but the girl’s face darkened with what he assumed was a blush. “Oh, I didn’t mean- I-I’m so sorry!”

“Can you consider a werewolf fully human?” The male mage asked, looking Shiro over critically.

It was like Shiro wasn’t even there.

Rude.

Matt looked about ready to explode, but Shiro stepped on his foot as he wandered over to the girl, wagging his tail and trying to look as non-threatening as possible. The girl’s eyes widened in excitement as she crouched in front of him, petting him a little too enthusiastically while giving the male mage the side-eye.

The other guy crossed his arms, glaring. “You shouldn’t touch him. He’s dangerous.”

“How could you say that, James? Look at him!” The girl turned back to Shiro, giving him a smile. “You’re so cool!”

_“Please tell her ‘thank you’ for me,”_ Shiro said, letting his tail thump loudly against the floor.

Matt glared at James. “He says ‘I will eat your heart, human’.”

James took an unconscious step back.

“Oh,” Nadia said despondently, letting her hand fall away. “I thought he looked like he was enjoying the pets. His tail was wagging.”

“It does that when he’s thirsting for human blood.”

_“Matt!”_

He was interrupting his pet time.

“HOLT!” Iverson roared from the other side of the door. “GET IN HERE NOW AND BRING GRIFFIN AND RIZAVI WITH YOU.”

“Let’s not keep the man waiting,” Matt smirked, pushing open the door and gesturing grandly for Nadia and James to enter first.

Shiro watched, amused, as they scampered in. Matt gave Shiro a wink before closing the door gently behind him. With a sigh, Shiro moved back to the door, settling in beside it. As a non-mage, he wasn’t allowed in the briefing, but it didn’t really matter. His connection to Matt meant that he was privy to it anyway.

“We’ve got a couple of strange situations that need to be taken care of,” Iverson said, shuffling through some papers. “I want each of you to check out a different town and report on your findings. Griffin, go to South Port. There are rumors of a kraken attacking ships. Take Kinkade with you.”

“Yessir,” Griffin nodded.

“Rizavi, I want you to go to Balmerra. There seems to be talk of a sand worm terrorizing travelers. Take Leifsdottir with you.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Holt,” Iverson paused, eyeing Matt with his one good eye. “Get your ass to Puig. They’ve sent distress messages, something about a dragon.”

Excitement washed over Shiro through the bond. Oh great, a dragon. Matt was going to-

“Oh my God! I’m gonna fight a _dragon_!”

“No!” Iverson snapped, slamming his hands on his desk. “No fighting it! This is reconnaissance only, do you understand me? I don’t want to lose one of my best-”

Matt glanced over at Griffin, smug smirk firmly in place. “Did you hear that, I’m the best.”

“Best at being a pain in my ass,” Iverson grumbled, annoyed at getting caught. “No fighting, Holt. I mean it. You can’t keep counting on that wolf to pull you back.”

He gave Matt a meaningful look, saying far more with one eye than most people could portray with two.

Matt’s face turned somber. “Yessir.”

It didn’t matter. Shiro would pull him back as many times as it took.

Griffin and Rizavi looked between the two of them with confusion.

“Good.” Iverson leaned back in his chair. “Take McClain with you.”

“AUGH,” Matt groaned, long and over-the-top. “Do I _have_ to?”

Iverson smirked. “He’s one of the most promising healers we’ve got. If you’re dealing with a real dragon there are going to be casualties. He can take care of that. He needs to get some more experience out in the field.”

Matt nodded, but he didn’t look happy about it. Shiro knew it was all an act. Matt liked Lance. He just liked to pretend he didn’t.

“Alright, here are the deta-”

Shiro’s concentration shattered as something smashed into him. He blinked, coming back to himself to see Pidge’s brown hair obscuring his vision.

“Shiro!” She laughed, scratching him behind his ear.

Bliss. Pure bliss.

Shiro thumped his tail happily as he took in Matt’s little sister. She was wearing the uniform of a mage-in-training, though it looked like she’d been bumped up another level since the last time Shiro had seen her, if the three stars on her badge were any indication. Pidge was the first individual to beat Matt’s record of being the youngest person accepted into the Circle and it seemed she would be the youngest ever to graduate as well. Matt would be so proud.

Shiro pawed at her badge, nudging it briefly with his nose.

Pidge looked down at it before sending him a thousand-watt smile. “I was promoted just yesterday!” Her smile turned into a sly smirk. “I’m gonna beat Matt if it’s the last thing I do.”

Shiro nodded his head encouragingly, sighing as he was rewarded with more pets.

“What are you two doing here?” Pidge asked, plopping herself on the floor next to him cross-legged.

She really didn’t care about dirt or anything. Typical Pidge.

He tilted his head to the side, unsure of how to let her know they were summoned here. She’d known him as long as he’d known Matt and was amazingly good at reading him, but this was a bit outside of his miming capabilities.

After a moment, he jerked his head at Iverson’s office door.

“Ah, summoned by the big boss himself, huh?” Pidge said, glancing at the door quizzically. “I hope you and Matt know that you can’t come out here and _not_ stop by and see mom and dad, right?”

Shiro nodded, resting his head on her knee as she ran her fingers through his fur.

This was nice.

Calm.

Soothing.

Tranq-

The door banged loudly as Matt marched out of it. “Shiro, my darling, we have an appointment with a dragon.”

Well. It was nice while it lasted.

\-------------------------------------------

“This town has gotten bigger since the last time I was here.”

Matt poked his head around Lance’s shoulder and looked around the bustling town. Puig was small by most standards, surrounded by a large stone wall and miles of fields as far as the eye could see. People were moving about, going on with their day. There was an enthusiastic vendor hawking her wares just down the street and a kid hollering the news out to anyone that would listen. It seemed like your average, run-of-the-mill, podunk town. Considering why they were here, it seemed strange that they weren’t more...scared.

“ _Everything seems normal,_ ” Shiro murmured, sniffing at the ground. “ _I don’t smell any dragon here_.”

“Are we in the right town? They don’t look like they’ve been dealing with dragon attacks here,” Matt said, scanning the crowds.

Lance frowned. “Well, may-”

“Welcome!” a cheerful voice called out, startling all three of them.

Matt turned to see a woman standing near the gate, a large grin stretched across her face.

“My name is Luxia. Puig is made brighter by your presence!” She continued, all smiles.

Matt resisted the urge to back away. Wariness wafted through his bond with Shiro. 

“Well hello there,” Lance smirked, leaning into the woman’s personal space.

The fact that she didn’t seem bothered by this somehow made Matt even more antsy.

“My name is Lance. I’m new in town,” Lance said in that tone of voice that indicated he was about to say something very, very stupid. “Could you give me directions to your home?”

Sigh.

Luxia turned her thousand-watt smile on Lance. “I would be happy to show you to our nearest inn! Puig welcomes all.”

Before Lance could say anything more, Matt stepped forward, pushing him away from the strangely creepy woman and displaying his badge. “Uh, my name is Matt, we’re from the Circle. We’re here for the dragon attacks?”

“Welcome, Matt!” Luxia tilted her head to the side. “Dragon attacks? We prefer to call them dragon greetings!” She smiled at Shiro. “All magical creatures are welcome here. Puig welcomes all.”

“ _I don’t know about you, but somehow I don’t find that very reassuring…_ ” 

Matt frowned. “Right…well, can you tell us where the dragon seems to be coming from?”

“Our dragon friend lives on Mount Naxzela, to the east.” She pointed to a large mountain in the distance. “It takes about four days to travel there. I recommend that you stay here tonight to rest your weary feet! Our inn would be happy to have you!”

“Awesome!” Lance grinned, giving her a wink. “Could you show us the way?”

“Great! Please follow me!”

“ _I don’t like this,_ ” Shiro said, sniffing the air as they followed behind Luxia. “ _Something smells off_.”

Matt looked around the town. Now that he was paying closer attention, he realized the town housed many magical creatures. Fairies, nymphs, even a Cerberus, all mingling in with the people. The sight should have been heartwarming. Matt had been hoping that acceptance of magical creatures would spread, but…

“ _It smells like death here,_ ” Shiro said as Luxia happily pointed them to a nearby inn.

Matt paused on the threshold. “Maybe we shouldn’t rest. A dragon is a dangerous thing. Perhaps we should just make our way there immediately.”

“What?” Lance asked, already halfway into the inn. “But I’m hungry!”

“Sal makes the best meat pies!” Luxia said, still with that wide smile that made Matt’s own facial muscles sore just looking at it. “At least stay for a meal! You’ll love it!”

“Well,” Matt took a step back, Shiro right beside him. “You know, nothing tastes better than a meal cooked on an open fire, right? We got plenty of provisions, it’ll be fine.”

“Are you sure?” Luxia asked. “We’d hate for you to leave. Puig is made brighter by your presence.”

“Yeah we’re going. Let’s go. Thank you, creepy lady, we’ll see ourselves out.”

Matt grabbed Lance’s arm, yanking him back the way they came as Shiro took up the rear, keeping an eye on Luxia as the headed back towards the large gate. Luxia stared after them, her smile not once falling from her face.  

\-------------------------------------------

“There’s something wrong with that town,” Matt said later as they took a break for the night around a roaring fire. “Something was off. The magic there was strange.”

“What? They seemed really nice to me.” Lance shrugged, munching on his meat skewer. “Plus, they allowed magical creatures there! You and Shiro should retire there!”

“ _The other creatures didn’t even acknowledge me,_ ” Shiro said, giving Matt a grateful nod as the mage passed him a chunk of chicken. “ _Usually we at least nod to each other when we meet._ ”

“I think it’s worth it to look into it more. We’ll check out this dragon first and then once we’ve defeated it we’ll investigate the town.

“ _Weren’t Iverson’s orders to just gather information?_ ”

Matt scoffed. “The old man doesn’t think I can handle it. I can take on one measly dragon.”

Matt would forever be in awe of Shiro’s ability to look completely unimpressed with a wolf face.

“What? I can take it!”

Shiro huffed out a sigh.

“ _We both know what you’re capable of_ ,” he paused, eyes intense as he looked up at Matt. “ _Please be careful_.”

“Shiro, my delicious sweet potato, I am the epitome of caution.”

Lance snorted his water out of his nose.

Whatever.

\-------------------------------------------

“You’re a mage, can’t you just...make us fly or something?”

Matt wiped sweat from his forehead, taking a moment to sink onto a nearby rock to rest. Beside him, Shiro panted, discomfort radiating through their bond.

“If I could make us fly, I wouldn’t ever walk again. I’d just hover all over the place,” Matt sighed, pulling out his water flask. He conjured a small bowl, pouring water into it and offering it to Shiro who lapped it up enthusiastically.  

“Well then you suck,” Lance whined, slumping across from him.

“I could just leave you here.”

“And deprive yourself of my stellar company? No, you wouldn’t.”

Matt snorted, chugging water fast enough that some of it trickled onto his chest. The cool water felt great on his heated skin. He wished he could just jump into a giant pool of it.

“ _How much further to the top?_ ” Shiro asked, lapping up the last of the water before wandering off to a tiny patch of shade to lay down.

Matt peered up at the sky, trying to see the top of the mountain. It felt like they hadn’t gotten any closer in the last two hours.

“Still a ways to go, I think.”

Lance groaned. “Shiro, let me ride on you.”

Matt watched, amused, as Shiro’s ears flattened. “I don’t think he likes that suggestion.”

“ _No._ ”

“Oh, he said ‘okay’.”

“Really!?”

“ _Matt_!”

Matt gave Lance a sweet smile. “Why don’t you try it?”

Lance narrowed his eyes, glancing at Shiro. The wolf gave him the side-eye as if daring him to try. “Yeah, no, I want to keep my beautiful face intact, thank you very much.”

“Probably a good idea.”

They rested for awhile before continuing on their trek up the mountain, groaning and complaining the entire way. Matt was certain he was getting a sunburn and was about two seconds away from leaving the town to its dragon-y demise when they finally rounded a bend to find a cave.

Lance and Matt glanced at each other, tiptoeing towards the entrance. Matt nodded to Shiro who proceeded to slink inside. For such a big wolf he walked with the grace of a panther, silent and deadly. Matt closed his eyes, reaching out for his connection to his friend so he could see through his eyes.

“ _It smells strange in here_.”

Matt let the smells filter through Shiro’s consciousness and into his own. It reminded him of charcoal, hot and humid. A smoky residue lingered over it, nearly obscuring the last smell. It was so faint, Matt would never have noticed it himself if he hadn’t been filtering it through Shiro’s superior senses. It was like...rot. The kind that stuck in your nose and lingered there like a particularly disgusting booger.

What was that?

Alarm spiked through his bond with Shiro as something in the darkness shifted, a puff of air sending Shiro’s fur ruffling. Through his night vision, Matt was able to see a pale glow. He assumed it was red, though he couldn’t tell through Shiro’s colour-blind eyes. The light brightened and subsided with each gust of wind, like coals on a dying fire. He could just make out the shadow of something large, so big it took up nearly the entire cave.

The dragon.

“Looks like we’ve found our lizard-y friend.”

“Are you seriously going to fight a dragon?” Lance hissed.

“You think I climbed up this cursed demon mountain to have tea with it? Of _course_ _,_ I’m going to kill it!”

“You, on your own, killing a _dragon_?”

Apparently, Lance didn’t have any faith in Matt’s abilities.

“I thought you believed in me? It’s just one dragon.”

Lance squawked. “It’s a _dragon_!”

Matt rolled his eyes, pushing away from the mountainside. “Just you wait and see.”

\-------------------------------------------

Shiro pawed at the ground nervously, waiting for Matt and Lance to join him. Matt was powerful, there was no denying that. Shiro had seen it with his own eyes on numerous occasions. It just scared him to think of what Matt was sacrificing for that power. It got harder and harder to pull him back every time.

He could just make out the dragon, body expanding and contracting with each deep breath. Shiro was certain it was sleeping, but the question was for how lo-

His blood ran cold.

One glowing eye was staring right at him.

Shiro froze, hoping the dragon couldn’t see him.

“ _Matt, stop! It’s awake!_ ”

Shiro’s heart trembled as the dragon lifted its head, getting bigger and bigger as it went up, up, up. At its full height the dragon was _enormous_ , head scraping the stalactites on the ceiling as it considered Shiro. Smoke swirled from its nostrils, lazy and mesmerizing.

Shiro took an unconscious step backwards.

“ _Hold on, Shiro, we’re coming!_ ”

Shiro watched as the dragon blew out a stream of smoke, eyes glowing through the smog.

“ _Matt, stay ba-_ ”

“ ** _Run,_** ” a deep voice rumbled through Shiro’s skull, vibrating with power.

Shiro blinked, head snapping up to the dragon.

Did...did it just-?

That lingering rotten scent suddenly spiked, so strong Shiro nearly retched. His fur stood on end, hackles raising without his consciously doing it. The dragon roared, long and loud and laced with pain, sending bits of stalactite and rock misting down into Shiro's fur. Heat rolled in the air, centering around the dragon's mouth.

Shiro ran.

“ _Matt, run! Run!_ ” he bellowed, tearing down the cave’s winding passage as fast as he could.

For once Matt listened to him, grabbing Lance's arm and shoving him back out the entrance. Shiro launched himself at Matt, knocking him down just as an enormous gout of flame burst through the cave, blistering hot. The heat licked against his fur, scorching it and causing him to whine.

Before they could stumble to their feet, the ground shook beneath them, thump, thump, thump. Matt wrapped his arms around Shiro and rolled to the side. A large, clawed foot crashed to the ground mere centimeters from Shiro's nose sending a plume of dust and dirt into his face.

“Fuck!” Lance swore, wide blue eyes staring in terror as the dragon spread its wings, easily the size of a large building.

The wings beat once, twice, three times before the dragon launched itself into the sky, ungracefully, almost like it didn't really want to. The fetid stench swept across Shiro again, like a thousand pounds of fish left rotting in the sun.

“It's getting away!” Lance called out, moving as if there was even the slightest chance he could chase after it.

Matt’s arms loosened from around Shiro, fingers brushing gently along Shiro’s back to check for injuries. Shiro flinched.

“Lance,” Matt snapped, frowning. “Come heal Shiro.”

“Shit,” Lance hissed, rushing over to Shiro and letting his hands hover over the injury.

Shiro relaxed as the feeling of cold water washed over his burn, soothing as it leeched away the pain.

“ _Thank Lance for me_.”

Matt scoffed. “Thanks for doing your job, doctor.”

As Lance bristled indignantly, Shiro licked his hand gently to show him Matt was a lying liar that lied. Lance calmed down, running his fingers through Shiro’s fur softly.

Matt climbed to his feet, shading his eyes as he scanned the sky. “Looks like it’s heading for the town. We need to stop it.”

“ _Wait,_ ” Shiro said, pushing himself to his feet. “ _Something is off here. The dragon warned me to run_.”

“It probably wanted to chase you down like a predator.”

“ _No, it-_ ” Shiro sighed, cutting himself off. “ _I don’t think it wanted to attack me_.”

“I don’t know what you guys are chitchatting about, but if we don’t get back to that town there won’t be one to return to!” Lance cut in, pointing as the dragon swooped closer to Puig.

“Alright we don’t have time for this,” Matt said, rolling up his sleeves. “If we don’t do something a bunch of creepy townsfolk are going to die. We need to hurry. Thankfully, it’s a lot easier to get down this shit mountain than it is to climb it.”

Lance peered at him nervously. “What do you mean?”

Matt’s face transformed into a shit-eating grin as he scrawled out a symbol in the air. “We jump.”

\-------------------------------------------

Levitating down a mountain was as close to flying as Matt was ever going to get.

Watching Lance scream as Matt held off on his levitation until the last minute was priceless.

\-------------------------------------------

The town of Puig was burning.

The three of them stared in horror as flames soared up into the sky, covering the area in choking smoke and the acrid taste of ash. Above them the dragon roared, loud and piercing.

“Lance, Shiro! Can you two get in there and see if there are any survivors?”

Matt could feel Shiro’s concern through their bond. “ _What are you going to do?_ ”

He squared his shoulders. “I’ll hold off the dragon for as long as I can.”

“Are you serious!?” Lance yelped, clutching his bag of healing herbs. “You’re going to die!”

“I’ll be fine.”

“You’ll be-” Lance cut himself off, spluttering. “It’s a _dragon_!”

“I feel like we’ve already had this conversation…”

“ _Matt…_ ”

Matt turned to his best friend, face set with steely resolve.

“ _Be careful._ ”

His heart skipped a beat at the strength of Shiro’s concern.

“’Careful’ is my middle name, smoochums.”

“ _I thought it was ‘Danger’._ ” 

“Semantics.”

Shaking his head, Shiro turned, nipping Lance’s shirt to pull him towards the burning town. Matt watched them go, making sure they made it through the crumbling gate safely before he turned to face the dragon as it swooped back for another blast.

Matt readied his spell, a long sigil glowing in the air in a flowing script. He reached for it, fingers curling around the words which transformed into a long wooden staff as he grasped them. The gnarled wood pulsed with warmth at his touch, familiar and powerful.

“Hey Assbutt!” Matt roared, pointing the staff at the dragon. “Eat this!”

His staff glowed a blinding green as he raised it in the air. The wind picked up speed at an unnatural pace, whipping his cloak back and forth and threatening to pull his hair from its tie. The clouds darkened, swirling ominously as they coalesced into one monstrous haze, lightning flickering brightly against the darkness.

The dragon wisely kept its distance, but Matt wasn’t done yet.

With his free hand not holding the staff, Matt sketched out another glyph. This glyph dissolved into smoke, mingling and shifting into the shape of the dragon above. Its wings beat at the same time as its larger counterpart, banking to the side to avoid the dark cloud nearby.

Matt swatted at it with his hand.

In the sky, a large shadowy hand materialized near the dragon, swiping at it with its enormous bulk. The dragon tried to dodge, holy shit it was faster than Matt gave it credit for, but it wasn’t fast enough. The hand clipped one wing, sending it spiraling into the cloud.

Thunder and lightning roared, booming through the area like an angered god. The dragon bellowed as lightning seared its skin, arching across its body in tiny rivulets of pain.

The dragon faltered, falling from the sky with trails of smoke. For a moment, Matt thought it was already over, but before it could crash into the ground it managed to flip back over and right itself, skimming across the dirt close enough to send dust flying.

Red eyes settled on Matt and for a moment he could have sworn they flickered to a sickly green before returning to burning molten fire. The dragon swooped towards Matt, mouth agape as it readied a burst of fire.

Matt pulled up a shield, bracing for impact.

Heat washed over him as a waterfall of fire erupted forth-

Right into the town behind him.

The buildings couldn’t handle the second onslaught of flames, many of the taller ones collapsing in on themselves as the heat melted the support beams. Matt watch in horror as the large hotel on the edge of town took out nearly five other buildings surrounding it.

Shiro!

Lance!

They-

They were still in there.

They-

Static echoed in Matt’s head, so loud it drowned out the sounds of roaring flames and the creaking crash of collapsing buildings. He couldn’t hear Shiro. Couldn’t _feel_ him.

He gripped his hair, sinking to his knees as the static slowly started to take over his vision.

“No…” he groaned, shaking his head sluggishly.

Not here. Not now.

His heart raced as the static took over everything.

Then there was nothing.

\-------------------------------------------

Shiro and Lance raced into Puig as fiery ash rained around them and the smoke threatened to choke them.

“Welcome! My name is Luxia. Puig is made brighter by your presence!”

Shiro froze, turning to see Luxia standing near the gate, same as before. She seemed unconcerned by the fire surrounding her, even when a flaming piece of wood fell down a few feet away.

“Luxia! You need to get out of here!” Lance said, moving towards her.

Shiro moved to block his forward momentum, using his bulk as a makeshift wall.

“You look tired. Come to the inn! Sal makes the best meat pies. You’ll love it! Puig welcomes all!”

Lance frowned, taking a step back even as Luxia stepped forward.

Just as she was about to reach for them, the front gate snapped, falling onto Luxia with a whoosh of flames and a pile of heavy rock.

“Shit!” Lance gasped, making an aborted motion towards her but stopping dead as Luxia pushed her way free of the deadly debris.

“Welcome! Welcome! Welcome!” Luxia said, arms outstretched even as her skin sloughed off the side of her face and her clothes burned bubbles into her body.

No.

They’d been tricked.

The stench of rotting flesh nearly overwhelmed Shiro as she took another stuttering step closer.

“We welcome…welcome…magical creatures, all magical creatures…” She smiled and smiled and _smiled_ , what remained of her lips stretched wide over rotting teeth. “Magic…magic…magic, magic, magicmagicmagicmagic…”

Shiro darted away, racing between two burning buildings, Lance hot on his heels.

Behind them, Luxia and the other townsfolk loped along, rotten flesh sloughing off with every step.

The townsfolk were dead. Had never really been alive, if Shiro’s hunch was correct. A trap, ready and waiting for any random passersby to fall into. Suddenly those smells and the strange magic they’d noticed earlier made a lot more sense. The fires had revealed the truth to them, almost like that was what the dragon had intended…

As they rounded the corner an ear-piercing shriek echoed through the air. Shiro looked up just in time to see the dragon get struck with lightning.

Shit.

As they rounded a corner, another group of undead townsfolk tried to reach for them. Shiro whirled, barrelling into Lance hard enough to knock the healer over so he was sitting on Shiro’s back. Instinctively Lance gripped onto Shiro’s fur as the wolf took off down a side alley, narrowly avoiding the rotten hands grasping for them.

They needed to get back to Matt.

Shiro dodged down two more alleyways as ash rained down on them.

“Shiro!” Lance yelled, fingers tightening in his fur.

Shiro looked up just in time to see the dragon swooping towards them, mouth agape as fire erupted towards them.

His mind raced frantically as the flames swallowed up the town, a force of terrifyingly deadly destruction.

His eyes landed on the well.

Lance screamed as Shiro dove for it, jumping over the lip of the stone well in one great leap. The awful sensation of freefall was thankfully short-lived as they crashed into the water below. Shiro’s head smacked into the wall, causing his vision to go dark.

He awoke to a soft blue glow as Lance whispered incantations softly. His hair was plastered to his face with water, but he thankfully appeared unhurt.

“You are really heavy, dude!” Lance gasped and Shiro realized he was helping to hold his head up out of the water.

Sheepishly he started treading water himself, relieving Lance of his weight.

“You,” Lance said slowly, tilting his head back so he could peer up out of the well. “are insane. No wonder you work so well with that dumbass.”

Shiro couldn’t deny it.

“But I won’t lie. You saved my life just now. You’re, like, my hero. And I always repay my debts.” Lance grinned, pushing his hair away from his face and winking at Shiro. “How about we go surfing?”

Shiro blinked.

“I’ll take your silence as a ‘hell yeah, Lance, you’re so awesome’!”

Before Shiro could do much more then frown, Lance closed his eyes. The water beneath them swayed and bubbled before bursting up in a huge geyser, sending them flying from the well in a rain of water and flailing limbs.

Shiro landed with a thud, shaking water out of his fur.

Lance yelped as he was sprayed with Shiro’s remnants, but Shiro hardly heard him. The town was almost completed demolished, fire raging all around them, and yet, somehow not touching the well they’d escaped into. He frowned. It seemed like the dragon had destroyed the undead for them…

“Okay, let’s go find Matt! I’m right behind you!” Lance’s voice cut through Shiro’s musings and he shoved the thoughts aside for now.

He needed to get to his best friend. Now.

Shiro sniffed the air, scenting his partner. There was a sharp quality to it that sent a shiver down Shiro’s spine. Through their bond all Shiro could hear was static, loud and disconcerting. He needed to pull Matt out before he got in too deep.

He raced around what remained of the town, dodging a falling wall as it crashed to the ground in a burst of sparks and smoke. One of the surviving undead villagers lunged at him and he launched himself at her, right paw glowing fiercely as his claws scraped through rotting flesh.

“ _Matt_!” He called out, hopping over another corpse and charging for a gaping hole in the crumbling town wall.

Matt was there, just outside of the wall. Power radiated from him, so strong his hair and clothing fluttered around him, almost in slow motion. Dirt and bits of rock floated into the air as if gravity couldn’t handle the sheer weight of **power**. His eyes glowed, and Shiro couldn’t see it but Pidge had told him it was a brilliant golden colour.

Even as Shiro watched, Matt slammed his fist into the ground. Everything shook as a crack cut through the earth, travelling a good fifty feet before pulling apart, dust and dirt shooting into the sky as over a hundred golems tore themselves from the ground. They roared in unison, a screeching sound that sent Shiro’s fur on end.

“Holy fuck,” Lance whispered in awe.

“ _Matt!_ ”

The mage didn’t even flinch, raising his arm once more, scratching out a scrawling rune in the air, all sharp edges and straight lines compared to Matt’s usual lazy curves. The golems converged on each other, smashing together into one enormous ball of rock. It rumbled, cracks splitting throughout it to form arms, legs and a head. A hundred golems coalescing into one giant monstrosity.

The dragon swooped towards it, mouth gaping as it prepared a gout of flame.

He needed to stop this. He had no chance of defeating him.

The dragon was going to die.

Fire rained down from the sky, crashing into the golem with a whoosh of burning heat. The golem rocked with the force of it, but it didn’t fall down. Instead, it swept one giant arm at the dragon, smashing into its head with a deafening thud. The dragon screeched in pain, acid blood showering from the sky and burning into ground.

Shiro watched in horror as the dragon collided with the town, breaking through what little remained of it as it skidded across the ground. The golem slowly stomped towards it, collecting bits of broken stone and wood into its body as it went. It continued to grow, so large now Shiro was certain it could smash a hole in Queen Allura’s castle.

“ _Matt!_ ” he called out desperately, rushing up to his partner and tugging on his sleeve with his mouth.

Matt placed a calming hand on Shiro’s head, not even looking at him as he wrote out another sigil. His eyes were hooded and unfocused, face blank in an emotionless mask. This wasn’t Matt. This was something else within him taking over. Something so powerful even the Circle was terrified of it enough to want to keep an eye on him. Matt slapped the sigil with the palm of his hand, and it disappeared. Earth jutted up from the ground around the golem, forming into a giant sword of rock and dirt, shining wickedly in the sunlight. Nearby, a tornado of muck and stone rained from the sky, sucking up more debris as the clouds swirled and darkened ominously.

Shiro stepped back, moving far enough away that he could get a running head start. He focused all of his concentration on his partner. He was only going to have one shot at this.

Breaking into a run, Shiro launched himself at Matt, all three hundred pounds of corded muscle and fur. He collided with him forcefully, sending the mage down onto his back hard enough to knock the breath out of him.

“ ** _MATT_** _!_ ”

Emotionless eyes blinked one, twice, before focusing on Shiro. The glow died from them, replaced with warmth and confusion.

“Shiro?”

Shiro settled his full weight on Matt, effectively trapping him. “ _Matt, stop the golem!_ ”

“So demanding, geez,” Matt muttered, but he listened, snapping his fingers.

The golem stopped, dissolving into sand just as it reached the dragon.

Shiro released the breath he didn’t even realize he was holding, sinking deeper into Matt’s warm skin. The mage wrapped his arms around Shiro, and he pretended he couldn’t feel his best friend shaking beneath him. After a moment, Matt jerked back.

“You’re all _wet_!”

Shiro grinned, pressing his wet face into Matt’s neck.

“You demon!” Matt wailed, struggling to push Shiro off but he couldn’t handle his bulk.

Shiro ignored his half-hearted protests, just enjoying feeling Matt in his head again. Every time he sunk into that static Shiro worried he’d never see _his_ Matt again. That he would completely taken over by this…power.

He couldn’t handle that.

He couldn’t.

“If you two are done flirting with each other, we’ve got another problem.”

“What?” Matt asked, looking at Lance before tilting his head back to see where he was pointing.

Shiro looked up to see the dragon struggling to its feet. Dirt and drops of steaming blood dripped to the ground around it as its wings tucked in around itself protectively.

“Well fuck me,” Matt muttered, gently pushing at Shiro to get off him.

“No thank you,” Lance whispered absently. 

Shiro snorted, climbing off Matt to take a few steps closer to the dragon.

“Shiro, don’t get too close!” Matt yelped, stepping in front of Shiro, hands up in what Shiro assumed was supposed to be a menacing manner. “Stand back, foul beast!”

Beside him, Lance gripped tightly to his staff, pointing it threateningly at the dragon as if it would actually do anything against its strong hide.

Already Matt was prepping another sigil, fingers lightening fast as it glowed in the air-

“ _Matt, wait!_ ”

Abruptly, the mage stopped, glancing at Shiro in confusion.

“AHHH!” Lance yelled, oblivious to the exchange as he rushed towards the dragon. His staff glowed faintly, imbued with some sort of magic to help him against the creature. Shiro leapt towards him, teeth snapping onto the edges of his cloak and yanking him back. Lance yelped, flailing as he fell onto his butt.

“Shiro, wha-”

One giant claw reached forward, crushing the staff within seconds. Steam hissed where it touched the ground, leaving the air humid.

“Shiro, what are you doing?” Matt hissed, helping Lance to his feet.

“ _The dragon, he-_ ”

“ ** _You need…to run,_** ” that same voice reverberated in Shiro’s chest, layered with pain.

“ _There’s something going on here. I don’t think this dragon is evil._ ”

Matt eyed the dragon, contemplating.

“Oh, mighty dragon,” he called out, raising his hands like some priest giving a sermon. What the hell was he doing? “We have come here to speak with you!”

Shiro groaned internally. Only Matt would try to pretend he hadn’t just spent the last hour attacking said dragon and nearly killing it.

Lance glanced at Matt eyebrows raised. Shiro was used to Matt changing things on the go, but clearly Lance was not.

“Tell us, oh great dragon, what shall we call thee?”

Okay, going a bit too far there.

The dragon puffed out another plume of smoke before lowering its mighty head so it could stare Matt in the face.

“ ** _Keith_**.”

“ _Um, he said his name is Keith._ ”

Matt gaped. “Uh...o-okay. Um, mighty dragon…Keith! We beseech thee! Please tell us what ails you!”

The dragon glanced at Shiro as if he could answer why Matt was the way he was. Shiro didn’t know. He was still trying to figure that out for himself, ten years after they met.

The dragon blinked before its entire body started to glow, pulsating with light. It shifted, body shrinking at an alarming rate. Smoke billowed around them, obscuring the dragon from view. Shiro stepped closer to Matt, blocking him from a potential attack. After a few tense moments, something stepped out of the smoke.

“I need…your help,” A young man said, eyes glowing. From his head, two horns spiralled up into wicked points. His black hair went to his shoulders, shorter in the front and long in the back, kind of like a-

“Dude, you’re a dragon with a mullet.”

Matt and Shiro’s heads snapped towards Lance in alarm.

Did...did he just insult a dragon?

Keith frowned. “I do not know what that is.”

Lance snickered. “I-”

Matt slapped his hand over his mouth. “Ignore him. He’s just my useless peon. I’m forced to drag him around with me in the hopes of teaching him manners.”

“ _You’re the last person anyone should learn manners from._ ”

“ _Shiro, my darling, please remember I’m the one that brushes you._ ”

Damn.

“ _Truly you are a master of grace and tact._ ”

Keith winced, coughing up an impressive amount of acid-like blood. Matt and Lance jumped away from it as it sizzled into the ground, burning a gouge into the dirt.

“I…I can heal you?” Lance said uncertainly, glancing at the others.

Keith’s eyes roamed between the three of them. He paused on Shiro. “I don’t…have time. I asked for your help because…I-I can feel the same magic on you…that I did on my captor.”

“Captor?” Matt asked.

“I am being held captive by…a-a necromancer. Macidus has been trying to control me for some time now, and I fear I cannot hold him off mu-” Keith cut off with a cry of pain, sinking into a crouch as the scent of rotting flesh Shiro had smelled earlier spiked once more.

Soft footsteps sounded behind them and Shiro turned to see a man dressed in black and green robes. He reeked of decay and blood, sending Shiro’s fur on edge. This must be the necromancer that Keith was talking about. The man looked over the four of them, eyes pausing on Shiro with carefully hidden surprise.

“Well, well, well, what do we have here?” Macidus asked, coldly amused. “I was about to kill you all for destroying my work, but I see you’ve brought me an even better prize.”

\-------------------------------------------

Matt stepped in front of Shiro protectively. “Sorry, he’s not for sale. You couldn’t afford him even if he was.”

Macidus raised his eyebrows. “I’m not asking.”

That was all the warning they got before a glowing green sickle launched at them. It would have cut Matt in two if he hadn’t already tossed up a barrier.

“Shit!” Lance yelped, dodging back towards Keith as Matt retaliated with a blast of raw power, knocking Macidus back a few feet.

“I guess if I can’t fight a dragon, I’ll settle for you!” Matt grinned, etching out a sigil and swiping his hand across it.

The ground shook as vines shot up from below, thorns wicked sharp as they twined around Macidus’ arms and legs. The necromancer grimaced, fingers moving in an intricate pattern. The vines withered and died, sloughing off him to the ground.

Shiro took the opportunity to launch himself at the necromancer just as he moved to get off another spell. His glowing claw raked through the man’s back and he cried out in pain before disappearing in a puff of black smoke.

He reappeared above Matt, a large scythe in his hands that he brought down on his head.

Matt blocked the attack with his own staff, mouth twisted into a grin as the necromancer bared down on him. Bright green sparks shot from the scythe, searing into the ground like acid. A fleck brushed against Matt’s cheek, burning into his skin.

Matt looked at the necromancer. “Nice trick.”

He ducked down, breaking the stalemate and causing the necromancer to fall forward with his own momentum. From behind Matt, Shiro launched over his crouched form, plowing into Macidus with the force of a hurricane. His teeth snapped viciously, shattering the man’s left femur within one terrible bite.

Macidus screamed, swiping at Shiro with his scythe. The werewolf dodged out of the way, moving to stand next to Matt. The necromancer groaned, struggling to push himself back up to his feet. He looked over at Matt, frowning.

“Who are you?”

Matt’s lips stretched into a shit-eating grin. “I’m the distraction, bitch.”

And before Macidus could fully comprehend what Matt had just said, Keith the dragon reared up behind the necromancer, eyes glowing a brilliant red as his teeth snapped Macidus in half, swallowing his upper torso in one swift bite.

“Holy shit,” Lance whispered from nearby, hands still glowing a soft blue from healing Keith.

“Well, there’s no coming back from that,” Matt said, relaxing as the blood soaked into the ground around them.

“ _That was gruesome_.”

Keith puffed out another blast of smoke, transforming back into his human form. “He tasted foul.”

“I don’t think necromancers are part of a well-rounded diet,” Matt sighed, eyeing the dragon. “Did that free you from him?”

Keith nodded.

“Alright, well, this will certainly require a lot of paperwork I’m not gonna do.” Matt poked at what remained of the necromancer with his staff. “What was this guy doing anyway?”

“He was gathering power from magical creatures,” Keith said, glaring down at the corpse. “That town was meant to lure in unsuspecting creatures and suck out their magic.”

Lance grimaced. “He didn’t seem all that powerful, considering.”

“That power wasn’t for him,” Keith said, giving Matt an intense look. “He was gathering that for someone else.”

“ _Who?_ ” Shiro asked.

“I do not know.”

“Wait,” Matt blinked, looking between Keith and Shiro. “You can understand him?”

“I am a dragon,” Keith said as if that explained everything.

Okay, maybe it did.

“I do not know what this power was for, but it cannot be good.” Keith glanced at Shiro. “You are connected to this somehow, wolf. Whatever this is it must be stopped.”

“I need to reconvene with the Circle and make plans on what to do next. I think we’ve uncovered something big here, I’m just not sure what.” Matt sighed. “Iverson is not going to like this but regardless of what he says we’re getting to the bottom of this.”

Gratitude reverberated through his connection with Shiro. If this had anything to do with Shiro’s past, Matt was sure as hell going to look into it.

No matter what.

\-------------------------------------------

“We need to do something about this!”

Iverson sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “Holt…”

“I swear to you; this is something big. I can feel it!”

“Holt, we don’t have the resources to go chasing after ghosts. Until there are signs that they’re harming our citizens-”

Matt narrowed his eyes dangerously. “They _are_. Citizens like Keith-”

“A dragon is not a-”

“The town of Puig!“

“Holt-”

“And Shiro!”

Iverson glared at him. “The answer is ‘no’. We cannot intervene. Not with the Galra beating down our boarders at every turn. We don’t have the resources.”

“At least let Shiro and I investigate. If we can dig deeper, find more evidence of whatever is going on here…”

Iverson considered him his single eye unblinking. It was certainly disconcerting.

“ _You_ may go. Take your sister with you. She could use some field training.”

Matt smirked. Field training her already? Clearly the Circle knew they were dealing with a super genius. Pride swelled in his chest.

“You say you don’t have resources, but you send your three best agents on it? You’re such a softie, Iverson.”

“Get the hell out of my office, Holt.”

“I love you too, sir!” Matt winked, blowing him a kiss as he marched for the office door.

“Oh, and Holt?”

Matt froze.

“I don’t care how close you and that werewolf are with the Queen. You will _not_ bring her into this.”

“Of course not, I would never _dream_ of involving Her Majesty in something so small.”

\-------------------------------------------

“I’m afraid the Queen is holding council right now.”

Shiro glanced at Matt, amused. Iverson should know better than to order a Holt around, especially Matt. Beside him, Pidge shifted nervously. She was clearly not sure what to do in the presence of royalty.

“That’s alright, Coran, we’ll just see ourselves in.” Matt grinned, pressing forward to push open the side door to the Queen’s council chamber.

Shiro gave Coran an apologetic look, but the man just looked amused.

The Queen’s council chamber was warm, lit by the glow of a dozen balls of soft pink light. The room was circular, the stone walls warmed by thick tapestries depicting various high points of Altean history. Several windows were interspersed throughout the chamber, allowing moonlight to filter in through the panes.

Allura stood at the head of a small table, leaning over it to peer at a map large enough to cover the majority of the tabletop. Her council stood around it, including her two consorts Lotor and Romelle.

The Queen glanced up at their entry. She took one look at Matt’s face before turning to the assembled group. “We’re going around in circles. Let’s rest up for tonight and we will continue this discussion in the morning.”

The various men and women nodded, making their way towards the only other door in the room that wasn’t blocked by Shiro, Matt and Pidge. Some glanced at the odd trio, but none said a word.

Allura waited until the door closed softly behind them before she turned to Matt. “Matt, I do hope you aren’t joining us from our dungeons?”

Matt smirked. “What can I say? I just love the ambience. It has a certain…je ne sais quoi. Did you get rid of the boob door?”

Allura blinked just as Lotor coughed and Romelle giggled.

“Don’t listen to him, Your Majesty,” Pidge spoke up, elbowing Matt sharply enough he doubled over. “We came through the front door like normal people.”

Allura shook her head in amusement, stepping forward to embrace Matt even as he continued to grumble about gremlin sisters. She knelt down in front of Shiro, scratching him in just the right place before giving him a warm hug.

“It is nice to see you two again. I take it this is your sister? I’ve heard nothing but good things about her.”

Pidge’s smirk mirrored Matt’s. “Can’t help it that I’m better than him.”

“Katie!”

Pidge shrugged, unrepentant.

Allura laughed, standing up to move back to her table. “I don’t doubt that.”

“Rude,” Matt grumbled. “I take time out of _my_ busy life to protect the people and-”

“ _Cause more trouble than you prevent._ ”

“Shiro, cupcake, honey bunny, I am an _angel_.”

Romelle giggled again. “I really wish I could understand what Shiro’s saying.”

“I don’t need to to know I agree with him,” Lotor murmured, causing Matt to shoot a glare in his direction.

“Children,” Allura called out, stopping them before a fight could break out. “It’s getting late and we’re in the middle of a budding war. Tell me what you’re here for so I can go to bed.”

Matt straightened up. “Well-”

“I _need_ to see her! I need to warn her!” A muffled voice interrupted Matt as a loud bang echoed outside.

Everyone glanced at each other.

Coran’s much quieter voice wasn’t loud enough to reach through the door but Shiro’s superior senses caught it regardless. “If you come back tomorrow-”

“This can’t wait until tomorrow, it’s _urgent_!”

That voice…it sounded familiar. Shiro frowned and he could feel Matt thinking on it too, hearing the voice through their bond.

“ _Wait, that’s-_ ”

Matt turned, flinging the side door open. “Let him in, Coran!”

A large man stumbled through the doorway, wringing his hands nervously as he straightened up. His eyes landed on Matt and his face lit up in a delighted grin. “Matt!”

“Hunk, what are you doing here?”

“I-”

“You know this man?” Lotor asked, looking Hunk up and down, assessing.

Matt nodded, giving Hunk a warm hug. “Hunk saved my life, back when I was a fledgling Circle mage.”

Shiro sidled up to Hunk as well, placing one paw on his dirty boot.

“Shiro!” Hunk laughed, crouching down and giving Shiro a hug that warmed him right down to his toe beans. Hunk seriously gave the best damn hugs.

“Any friend of Matt’s is a friend of mine,” Allura said diplomatically.

She’d probably regret saying that.

Hunk seemed to suddenly realize he was in the presence of royalty and he awkwardly fell into an anxious bow, stuttering out a greeting.

“Please, stand.” Allura laughed, touching his shoulder gently.

“I-I’m sorry to barge in here, Your Majesty,” Hunk said slowly, looking between everyone. “But I came to look for some help. M-my village was attacked a week ago.”

Alarm spiked through the bond as Matt looked at Hunk. “Shit, Hunk, what- is Shay okay?”

Hunk’s eyes watered over swiftly, lips wobbling as he gave Matt a lost look. “They-they took her.”

“Took her?”

“They took…t-took all of them. Took over the entire village.”

Romelle glanced between them. “All of who?”

Matt sighed, running his hand over his face tiredly. “Hunk’s village is…special. They welcome anyone and everyone there. Including magical creatures with nowhere else to go.”

Hunk stepped forward. “Your Majesty, Oriande is small and not really marked on any map. But there are about one hundred of us, mostly people looking for a fresh start and magical creatures just wanting to live in peace. It’s not much, but it’s home and we’re happy there.” He paused, swallowing carefully. “We were attacked by…by some group? Cultists? I-I think they were Galran. They said they wanted all the magical creatures, we-we couldn’t stop them. I was only able to escape with the help of some…uh…friends.”

Why did he hesitate at the word ‘friends’?

It didn’t matter.

“ _Matt, this could be connected to Macidus. A group of people gathering magical creatures? This isn’t good._ ”

Matt looked at Allura. “We recently ran into a necromancer doing the same thing. If there is a group out there hunting down magical creatures, well…”

Allura looked between them all, brows creased in concern. “I-we are dealing with the beginnings of a war with the Galra.” She sighed, looking frustrated. “I can’t send soldiers out for such a small settlement, no matter how much I want to. We need every able-bodied soldier to stand our ground at the border.”

Shiro’s heart sank. They couldn’t just leave Hunk and Shay like this, not after everything they’d done for Matt and Shiro.

Allura put her hand on Hunk’s shoulder. “But I well send out our best mage and his sister to look into this for me. Matt, Pidge, Shiro,” she said, an air of command seeping into her voice strong enough to cause even Matt’s back to straighten at attention. “Look into this and report back with whatever you discover. We can’t afford to give the Galra any more power sources and I will _not_ let my people suffer at their hands.”

Matt grinned, giving her a salute. “As you wish, my Queen.”

\-------------------------------------------

“Can you see anything?”

“It’s too dark.”

“Shiro?”

“ _It’s a large group, twelve that I can see._ ”

“Shiro says at lease twelve. We can expect a few more hidden in the trees. Hunk, your potions?”

The alchemist frowned, nervously checking and double-checking his bottles. “I have enough to last us fifteen minutes. Should be enough to give us a chance to survey things up close.”

“Great-”

“Are you _sure_ this is a good idea, though?” Hunk asked anxiously. “I mean, twelve bad guys is a lot of bad guys.”

Matt sighed. “If things go south, Shiro and I can handle it.”

“And me!” Pidge cut in, eyes flashing.

“Pidgeon, you could take them all out by yourself.”

Pidge preened.

“I’m just saying,” Hunk continued, not looking mollified at all. “You guys didn’t see what they were doing. They were _ruthless_. They don’t hesitate.”

Matt saw Shiro place a placating paw on Hunk’s leg and the larger man relaxed. Somehow, having an enormous, magical wolf fighting on your side tended to give people confidence. Shiro was just that awesome.

“ _Just a quick reconnaissance. We get in, we inspect, we get out. If this is as big as we suspect we’re going to need backup_.”

Matt nodded, relaying Shiro’s words to the others. “Let’s meet back at the ugly butt shaped tree. We have fifteen minutes but don’t push it. Try to head back at the ten minute mark, at least.”

One by one, Hunk passed out the potions to everyone. They were about the size of Matt’s fist and were filled with a murky brown liquid. They looked absolutely disgusting.

“Ugh, does this taste as bad as it looks?” Pidge asked, wrinkling her nose.

Hunk bristled. “I am a Master Alchemist. I know how to make things taste good.”

Matt pulled the cork off his bottle, sniffing the concoction. It actually smelled quite nice, like a bowl of stew. The scent reminded him he hadn’t eaten dinner. Ah well, no time for that when they had creepy cultists to fight.

“ _Um…I’m going to need a little help with mine._ ”

“Ah shit, sorry pumpkin.” Matt grabbed Shiro’s bottle, struggling to pull off the stubborn cork. He gave Shiro his best ‘come hither’ look. “Come, suckle at my potion breast.”

Pidge wrinkled her nose. “Ew.”

“Why would you _say_ that?” Hunk shuddered.

“ _What is_ wrong _with you!?_ ”

“Yeah, I take that back. I knew it was all kinds of wrong even as it was leaving my mouth.”

“ _I’m going to ask Hunk to make a potion to censor your brain._ ”

“Fair enough.”

Shiro shook his head, but stepped forward, opening his mouth so Matt could carefully pour the potion into it.

Within seconds, Shiro disappeared.

Perfect.

“Tell me the truth, honey cakes. Does it taste as good as Hunk promised?”

“ _That’s for me to know and you to find out._ ”

“You’re so mean to me. Ah well, cheers!” Matt grinned.

He tapped his bottle against the other’s softly before tilting his head back and swallowed the potion in one gulp. It tasted just as good as it smelled, but the texture was thicker than he expected and it slid slowly down his gut, settling there uncomfortably.

He glanced up to take in the other’s expressions, but they had already disappeared, invisible to Matt’s eyes. He looked down at his own hands only to see nothing but the grass and leaves.

“Let’s go,” Pidge’s voice drifted from his right.

Matt made his way steadily to the centre of Oriande, footsteps as soft as he could manage. Ahead, there was a bright fire burning a sickly green light. It flared taller than Matt, though it had no signs of smoke or ash. Around it, a dozen hooded figures raised their hands to the sky, speaking in a language Matt didn’t understand.

He inched closer, noticing a strange altar behind the fire. It was on a raised dais, a large wooden table surrounded by skulls and black raven feathers. On it was a woman, stuck in place with glowing ropes. She had short, black hair and cat-like eyes. Strange markings littered her skin, hauntingly familiar, shifting in and out of view making it difficult for Matt to focus on them.

They looked like Shiro’s scars.

The woman was clearly not human, though she was a humanoid. She had a tail, for one and soft-looking cat ears twitching in fear on her head. She pulled at her bindings, clearly terrified. 

Matt checked over the altar once more.

This was…

“ _They’re going to sacrifice her!_ ” Shiro said in alarm, distress leaking through the bond even though Shiro tried to hold it back.

Matt glanced back at the hooded figures. One had separated from the others, a tall, bulky man that moved with a strange grace. In his hand was an intricately carved dagger, dark symbols etched into the white surface. The symbols pulsed purple with power, flickering to match the fire as the chanting picked up in volume.

Twelve opponents. Four versus twelve. Those odds weren’t too bad, though he’d rather Pidge and Hunk not get involved. He didn’t want them to get hurt.

The man with the dagger stepped up beside the altar, raising his hands in supplication.

“We call on you, The Devourer, Goddess of Hunger and Greed. We offer you this vessel, so that you might return to this world and rid it of those who would tear us apart! Haggar!”

“Haggar!” the others chanted, the fire shooting up to frightening levels, higher than even the buildings nearby.

A dark, purple mist swirled over the captive woman, brushing up against her tearful face. The girl screamed, terrified and the mist shivered in what Matt could only guess was anticipation.

Well, this just wouldn’t do.

That woman’s scars might be a key to Shiro’s past, and Matt wasn’t about to let it slip through his fingers. Had Shiro been held captive like this woman, prepped as a sacrifice for this goddess? Were these the people who had hurt him? Trapped him in this form? Torn him from his home?

As the man raised the dagger in his hands, the eerie mist swirled around it, turning the white blade a dark purple pulsing with power.

Matt had no way of signalling the others, but he hoped they would take the hint and stay back.

“ _He’s all yours, Shiro_.”

Shiro clearly didn’t need to be told twice. As the man moved to plunge the dagger into the woman’s chest, Shiro threw himself at the him, sending him sprawling on the ground with a choked off cry of pain.

Matt scrawled out another rune. Clapping his hands together around it, he launched a fireball right into the heart of the roaring sacrificial fire. The fire exploded outwards and struck three of the figures standing too close to the flames. They caught fire and flailed in a panic as the blaze ate at their clothes.

“We’re under attack!” some idiot yelled out, looking around wildly but Matt was still invisible.

A horrible ripping sound and a choked off gargle indicated Shiro was finishing off the would-be murderer. Matt could see the ropes start falling away from the girl and guessed that Hunk and Pidge had anticipated their actions. God, it was so nice to work with smart people.

One of the remaining cultists was clearly bolder than most as she dared to brave the invisible wolf and snatched up the fallen dagger, moving to stab the girl.

With a furious snarl, Shiro was on her, the purple glow of his claws raking along her back and sizzling through her flesh like a hot knife through butter. She screamed, dropping the dagger and nearly fell on the would-be sacrifice.

The cat woman was up and moving before the last of her bonds had hit the ground, transforming into a cat and darting into the trees.

“Wait, Kova!” Hunk’s voice called out just as the potions wore off, leaving him standing dumbly near the altar, the remains of ropes clutched in his hands.

Nearby, Pidge reached for the dagger, intent on getting it away from the fanatics.

“Stop them!” someone yelled, lunging for Pidge only for Shiro to take them down.

Matt readied another spell, moving to-

“Enough!”

A loud, commanding voice echoed through the area. Matt froze in his tracks and he wasn’t the only one. There was a quality in it that demanded obedience.

From one of the nearby buildings came a man, tall and imposing. Behind him, another ten, no, fifteen cultists regarded them with fury.

Shit, shit, shit.

The man’s eyes roamed over the scene, taking in the missing sacrifice and the four strangers wreaking havoc on his carefully planned ritual. Fury sparked in his eyes.

“You have ruined ten years of planning.”

Matt shrugged, trying to look nonchalant even as he stepped closer to Shiro. “You didn’t plan very well if four people can ruin it so easily.”

Shiro stepped up beside Matt, hackles raised. Matt could feel the heat from his claw, smoke trickling from the burning grass as he settled it there.

Matt had seen many different expressions on people’s faces when they saw Shiro. Mostly it was terror. Sometimes excitement. A lot of nervous twitching.

But the look this man gave him…

It was…full of hunger.

One of the cultists glanced at their leader. “Lord Zarkon, it’s-”

“Champion…” the leader whispered. His voice was layered with something Matt couldn’t quite pinpoint.

Confusion swelled through Matt’s link with Shiro and Matt stepped in front of him, hairs raising on the back of his neck. He didn’t like that tone.

“How do you know him?” Matt demanded, glaring at the stranger.

Zarkon laughed, cold and confident. “Because he belongs to me and our Mistress.”

“He belongs to no one.”

“ _Matt…_ ”

“Oh?” The man took a step closer and Matt tensed. “The bonds that tie him to _her_ are infinite. He was meant for a higher purpose. You may have stolen him from us, for a time, and I’d love to know how you managed that, but they are still there. Waiting. Growing in strength.”

“Yeah, I don’t listen to crazy and neither does Shiro. We’re not sorry we crashed your pajama party, but I think it’s time we wrapped this up.”

Matt glanced at Pidge. She nodded almost imperceptibly.

“Deny it all you want. The truth is there, regardless. You may have ruined our plans with that sacrifice, but you’ve brought us an even better option. Our Lady thanks you.”

“Your Lady can go suck a duck!” Matt yelled, moving to scrawl out a sigil.

“Stop him,” the man commanded, voice layered with power.

Matt wondered for a brief second why no one was moving to attack him.

That was when pain blossomed in his arm as sharp teeth sunk into his skin, preventing him from completing his spell.

Matt cried out as 300 pounds of muscle and fur collided with him, sending him to the ground hard enough to knock the wind out of him.

“Matt!” Pidge yelled.

“Shit!” Hunk yelped.

Matt could just see Pidge scratching out a symbol, but she hesitated, clearly not wanting to attack.

He would ponder that more, but the teeth clamped around his arm sunk in deeper, tearing at his flesh as they shook back and forth. Matt kicked out at the mountain of fur, eliciting a growl from-

Shiro?

The werewolf’s eyes were glowing a faint purple, the scars more prominent than ever as he snarled around Matt’s arm, drool and blood leaking from his mouth.

“Shiro!” Matt called out desperately, out loud and through their connection.

But it was like screaming into a pillow, muffled and indistinct. He couldn’t feel Shiro, the sudden gaping _emptiness_ leaving him cold and alone in his head for the first time in years.

Something snapped in Matt’s arm as Shiro’s jaw clenched tighter, sending shooting sparks of agony down his forearm. Matt screamed. It hurt. It _hurt_. Shiro was hurting him!

Vines shot out of the ground, wrapping around Shiro and forcing his mouth wider, giving Matt an opportunity to yank his arm back. The world twisted around him dizzyingly as the pain throbbed viciously, leaving him disoriented.

“Shiro, stop!” Pidge yelled, forcing the vines around him tighter and tighter as the werewolf struggled to break free.

What…what was happening?

Shiro’s paw glowed, brighter than Matt had ever seen it. It burned through the vines like acid, melting them away faster than Pidge could produce them.

No…

“Shiro, don’t let him control you!” Hunk yelled, frantically searching through his pack, hopefully for something to stop the vicious wolf bearing down on them.

Shiro moved so damn fast, slashing free of the vines and launching at Matt again with a terrifying single-minded focus. Hunk threw a potion at him, the dark liquid splashing against the pure white of his coat. The liquid hardened within seconds, weighing the werewolf down with steel.

Pidge erected a cage of stone around him, trapping him in place.

The cult leader didn’t even look fazed. “I order you to kill them. Do _not_ fail me, Champion.”

Matt watched as power swelled within Shiro, a purple glow outlining his body. Sparks of purple light drifted off of him. It would have been beautiful in any other situation. 

What…?

Time seemed to slow, as if his brain couldn’t process what he was seeing.

Shiro flickered out of sight.

Only to reappear over Pidge.

His paw flashed brightly as he swiped at her, eyes still glowing that awful purple, hiding the usual warmth that would radiate from them.

Pidge tried to dodge it, but Shiro was so fast, she wasn’t-

Blood splattered across the altar as Pidge cried out in pain.

Pidge…

Shiro…

Static swelled in Matt’s head, sudden and powerful, drowning him in it.

No. No!

Not now!

He couldn’t breath, he couldn’t see. It roared within him, unrestrained and _furious_.

He needed…to…

He…couldn’t…

The last thing Matt saw was Shiro’s glowing eyes and the red blood splashed across his snarling face before the static overwhelmed him.

\-------------------------------------------

Hunk was frozen.

He watched, terrified, as Pidge went down, too fast for him to save her.

His breath caught in his throat as Matt rose to his feet like a doll being pulled by its strings, shaky and not quite human. His eyes were glowing a bright gold, thrumming with power so strong even Hunk could feel it.

Blood trailed down Matt’s broken arm, the white of bone peaking out from his shredded flesh. Hunk’s heart clenched in sympathy, but Matt didn’t seem to notice. Golden sparks darted across the wound, stitching it up before Hunk’s eyes. The mage raised his hand up high, scrawling out a symbol in sharp, jerky motions.

Stone stretched out from the ground, forcing Shiro away from Pidge. At the same time, the burning pyre nearby roared into a golden geyser of flames, so hot the trees nearby wilted from sheer proximity. The cult leader stumbled back, eyes wide as a dozen flaming arms shot out of the blaze like burning whips, wrapping around a handful of cultists and pulling them bodily into the flames.

Hunk clapped his hands to his ears, but he couldn’t drown out the agonized screams, rising in pitch like a thousand angry hornets.

What was happening?

The scene erupted into chaos, people shouting and running in every direction.

Hunk gripped his pack, running towards where he’d last seen Pidge. They needed to get out of here. They needed-

“Stop him!” Zarkon roared, dark magic swirling around him like a hundred writhing eels as he stormed towards Shiro.

The cultists launched darkfyre at Matt, but the earth rumbled and an enormous wall of moss and rock sprang up from the ground, a gigantic shield protecting him from harm.

Several cultists screamed, falling to the ground and writhing in agony as bloody red mist leeched from their bodies, coalescing in the air into sharp red spikes shining like rubies. The shards shot out at a few more cultists running forward to join the fray, piercing through them like a rock through wet parchment.

This was insane.

Hunk tore his eyes away as he reached Pidge, eyes raking over her in a panic.

She was too pale, blood oozing from a thick gash in her abdomen, but her eyes were still open.

“Matt…” she whispered, reaching for him.

“Hold on, Pidge, I got you,” Hunk muttered, rifling through his bag for a healing potion. It wouldn’t fix this kind of damage, but it would lessen the pain and slow the bleeding, at least.

Just as he reached for it, something purple flickered above him.

He looked up.

Shiro was coming for him, mouth wide and ready to tear him apart.

Without thinking, Hunk raised his pack, crying out as the wolf collided with him, teeth snapping viciously around Hunk’s bag. Bottles cracked and splintered, but it was enough to give him a chance to throw him off. With all his strength he spun to the side, using Shiro’s own momentum against him to send him sliding into the dirt.

In mounting terror, Hunk watched as Shiro disappeared, reappearing above him again to launch another attack.

He couldn’t do anything.

He was-

A dark shadow flickered in the corner of Hunk’s eye before another wolf crashed into Shiro, sending them both sprawling in a tangle of limbs and fur.

What-?

A sharp whistle heralded the arrival of a group of people in blue uniforms. They darted out from the forest like ninjas, cutting down cultists left and right. Hunk’s heart soared, recognizing them instantly.

This was the group that had helped him escape before.

The Blades of Marmora.

Screams echoed throughout the clearing as fire rained down on the cultists, setting houses and trees aflame. Oriande, his home, his _life_ had been transformed into the fiery pits of hell. Hunk squeezed his eyes shut against the image, pulling the cork off the healing potion and hastily shoved it between Pidge’s lips. She was aware enough to drink it, thankfully, but they needed to get out of here.

Nearby, Shiro and the other wolf wrestled savagely, nails scraping and tearing as they snarled at each other. They looked as if they could be twins, the only difference being the colour of their coats. Shiro’s snow white fur was a stark contrast to the black of the others. Shiro managed to get a grip around the other wolf with his teeth, whipping it around and sending it crashing into a nearby tree.

The other wolf scrambled to its feet, blood dripping from a gash on its forehead. It stared at Shiro with an intensity in its eyes that sent Hunk’s heart clenching in sympathy. The wolf howled, long and loud and sorrowful.

And Shiro froze.

Did he know that wolf?

Behind Shiro, purple darkness swirled.

Later, Hunk would wonder if time really had slowed down. With all the magic flying through the air he wouldn’t have been surprised.

As it was, he watched as the cult leader stepped through the darkness, purple dagger raised high in the air. Hunk caught a glimpse of his crazed eyes, eager and desperate.

The dagger sunk into Shiro’s flesh and just kept going, deeper and deeper until Hunk couldn’t even see the handle anymore.

A powerful boom reverberated around the area, strong enough to send even Matt stumbling.

Pidge’s fingers gripped Hunk’s shirt as the purple mist engulfed Shiro in seconds, forming a cocoon around him and solidifying. A howling wind picked up, like a thousand demons screaming for blood. It whipped Hunk’s clothes around like a hurricane, making it difficult for him to keep his eyes open but he couldn’t look away.

The cocoon splintered, tiny fissures blazing violet as it shook.

Hunk yelped as someone grabbed him, pulling him bodily towards Matt. It was one of the men in blue uniforms, face set in a grim look as he practically carried both Hunk _and_ Pidge.

Ulaz!

Hunk clung to him as best he could as the Blades raced towards Matt, the black wolf joining them in a huddled group.

Matt was still as a statue, eyes heavily hooded as his hair and clothes swirled around him in golden light. Around him, dead cultists lay still, bodies mutilated almost beyond recognition.

What power…

“Matt!” Pidge yelled as they drew near. “Wake up!”

Matt didn’t even flinch, just turned to watch as the shell surrounding Shiro cracked apart. Purple mist obscured it from view, but Hunk could just make out a hand reaching through it, glowing with power.

The mist parted, revealing a man. He was tall and broad shouldered, his hair cut short and black as the night. A scar cut across his nose, strangely familiar, ominous as his glowing eyes. He was shirtless, scars criss-crossing his torso as he stepped barefoot towards them.

The cult leader sunk to his knees, falling prostrate near the man.

“This is bad,” Hunk whimpered, reaching for Matt. “Matt, wake up!”

“He’s in too deep, we need to get out of here!” Pidge yelled fingers scrabbling around Matt’s pack, searching.

The black wolf shuffled nervously, muscles tense.

The man watched them silently for a moment, hair swirling with tendrils of mist, similar to Matt’s golden glow.

And then he smiled, cold and full of dark promise.

Hunk’s heart quivered.

The sky darkened impossibly further, stars blinking out of existence as the mist grew, blocking out the clouds, blocking out the _moon_. The ground shook with power, even as the dead around them twitched and groaned, eyes snapping open as they clawed at the ground, attempting to stand up.

Pidge pulled out a book from Matt’s bag.

Time for Contingency Plan C.

The dark man took a step forward.

“Hold on!” Pidge yelled, slapping her hand onto a sigil on one of the pages.

The ground beneath them opened up and Hunk felt the horrible sensation of his stomach shooting up into his throat as he fell.

The last thing he saw was the man, surrounded by the undead.

He was laughing.

\-------------------------------------------

CRASH.

BANG.

Lotor sighed, setting down his quill. He pushed himself out of his chair, snatching up the ring of dungeon keys as he sauntered towards the far cell.

“Holt, I am seriously leaving you here th-”

He cut off as he took in the two unconscious Holts, a handful of dangerous-looking Galra men in blue uniforms, a frightened Hunk and…Shiro? No, it was hard to tell in the darkened cell but…

“Help?” Hunk whispered, clutching the bottom of his shirt nervously.

\-------------------------------------------

“Um, so this is Kolivan.”

Matt turned away from Hunk’s anxious stuttering to stare at the formidable man standing in front of a group of Galra soldiers. He couldn’t remember what happened, but apparently, they had saved Hunk and Pidge while Matt had been…

Out of control.

Without Shiro there to anchor him, he was a monster.

And Shiro…

Matt couldn’t feel him anymore.

Allura sighed. “Why would Galra be assisting Altea?”

Kolivan nodded his head to her politely. “We are a rebel group, aiming to prevent the resurrection of The Devourer. Our King has lost sight of our culture and has been allowing dark magicks to take over our country and our people. We will not stand for it.”

“How did you know about this ritual?” Pidge asked from beside Matt, closer than she would normally stand. He knew she was worried about him, but he didn’t have it in him to ease her concern.

Shiro was gone.

“We had some of our agents undercover within the Galran court.” He nodded to one of his soldiers, a man with a shaved head with a mohawk in the middle. “Ulaz was able to gather intel for us, along with his partner.”

Ulaz was standing next to the large wolf that looked so much like Shiro it made Matt’s heart twist with guilt and pain. His dark fur was different, yes, and he had two silver eyes instead of mismatched ones, but he still somehow looked just like him.

“I thank you for saving my people,” Allura said diplomatically, bowing slightly. “Any information you can provide on this…Haggar…would be appreciated.”

“She is a goddess, Your Majesty. The goddess of Hunger and Greed. She will destroy us all if she is not stopped. Now is the time to strike. She is weakest inside a new vessel. She will not be able to gain full autonomy over her powers until her vessel breaks. It is only a matter of time before he succumbs. If we hurry, we can finish her off for good.”

Matt slammed his fist onto the table. “This is _Shiro_! He’s a human being, not some object we can discard like used parchment.”

Kolivan gave him the same unimpressed look that Iverson always gave him. It was kind of relaxing. “If she is not killed, the entire world will be destroyed. We cannot allow that to happen.”

“I’m not-”

Before Matt could finish lashing out, the wolf next to Ulaz growled harshly. To Matt’s surprise, it seemed to be aimed at Kolivan, not anyone else. Ulaz placed a calming hand on the wolf’s head which seemed to mollify it somewhat.

“We should consider _all_ of our options,” Ulaz said quietly, giving Kolivan an intense look.

“We can discuss this further after some rest,” Allura cut in, sensing the tension in the room. “I’ve arranged quarters here in the castle for everyone. Please get some rest and food in you, and we will discuss our strategy later.”

“We don’t have _time_ -”

Allura held up her hand, silencing Kolivan’s protest. “We will all plan better with food and a fresh mind.”

Kolivan’s lips thinned in frustration but he acknowledged her logic with a sharp nod. The other soldiers followed him out as Coran lead them to their rooms. To Matt’s surprise, Ulaz and the wolf stayed behind.

“May we speak with you?” Ulaz asked, staring directly at Matt.

Matt glanced at Pidge who shrugged slightly and stayed by his side as everyone else filed out of the room.

“Make it quick, I need to make plans to find Shiro.”

Ulaz nodded slowly in understanding. “I know. I’d like to introduce you to my partner.”

Matt yelped as the wolf beside Ulaz rose up onto its hind legs and transformed into a man.

A shirtless man.

A smoking hot, entirely delectable man.

Holy crap.

The werewolf gave Ulaz a grateful smile as the other man pulled out a shirt from his pack. Matt had to refrain from whimpering in despair as those abs disappeared beneath a black shirt.

“My name is Kuro,” the man said quietly, giving Matt an intense look. “I’m Shiro’s twin brother.”

Twin brother?

_Shiro_ …

What a mess this turned out to be. Matt had lost Shiro just when they were finally getting answers to his past. Matt had gotten overly cocky, as he always did, and Shiro paid the price.

Just like when they’d first met…

\-------------------------------------------

_10 Years Ago_

Matt was a fucking genius.

He wasn’t worried about passing his exams, but if he wanted to make it into the Circle, he needed to do something above and beyond everyone else. Entrance into the Circle was competitive, and it was his goal to be the youngest mage to ever make it through those golden doors.

Most of his classmates were considering easier spells, like smaller golems, wind sprites and fire bats. They were on the simple side, but there was less of a chance they would fuck it up. It was pretty much expected that every student would go down that road.

Matt didn’t want to take the easy road.

He wanted to blast that road to smithereens and walk over its ashes.

He grinned to himself as he dumped the enormous spellbook onto his worktable. Technically, he wasn’t supposed to have access to this book, but his dad kept some of them in his private study and it wasn’t hard for Matt to sneak in and grab it.

Summon easy, cute little elemental creatures?

Fuck that.

Matt was gonna summon a motherfucking demon.

\-------------------------------------------

“Alright,” he said to himself, surveying his preparations. “This should do it.”

On the table he’d drawn a complicated pentagram with chalk, checking and re-checking it against the drawing in the spellbook. It was a bit difficult in some spots as there was some water damage to the pages that smudged the ink, but he was fairly certain he’d copied it perfectly.

Rolling up his sleeves, Matt tossed some salt into the circle, followed by a freshly-plucked raven feather and a touch of spring water. He slowly recited the incantation, careful of his pronunciation of the difficult words. The circle began to glow, pulsating between white and purple-

Wait, purple?

There shouldn’t be any purple-

Wind blasted through the tiny room, so strong it knocked Matt right off his chair. The candles went out immediately as papers, books and other smaller knickknacks clattered to the floor. Something shattered and Matt had the fleeting thought that he hoped it wasn’t his mom’s favourite vase.

Something _dark_ screamed, so loud and ear-piercing Matt couldn’t block it out even with his hands clapped to his ears. He’d never heard a sound like that before. It set his teeth on edge, a pounding headache sprouting behind his eyes in seconds as the sound rose into near-unbearable levels.

There was a loud thump followed by a whine that sounded distinctly canine and the screams and wind suddenly cut out.

Matt blinked, opening his eyes in time to see bits of paper floating gently to the ground. Something was moving on top of the table, the sound of nails scraping against the wooden tabletop sent alarm shooting down his spine.

He’d summoned something.

The question was what.

Panicking, Matt scrambled to finish the incantation to seal the bond. If he didn’t do this, the demon would cause havoc. The whole point of the contract was that the demon would obey him in exchange for some freedoms and the chance to be away from the Underworld.

Matt quickly drew the sigil of binding, watching as it pulsated. He could feel something’s consciousness grasping at it, confusion radiating as it reached out tentatively, uncertain. The moment it connected, accepting the bond, Matt felt something click into place in his brain.  

Conjuring a ball of light, Matt slowly poked his head over the table.

Something large, and holy fuck was it _enormous_ , furry and definitely _alive_ scrabbled at the table, nearly falling off with its frantic movements.

It took him a moment to analyse the situation and realize he was looking at a really, _really_ big wolf.

Absurdly, his first thought was ‘I could ride that into battle’.

What? It was the truth.

Slowly, so as not to spook it, Matt stood up, letting the ball of light float to the ceiling as he raised his hands in the air.

The wolf seemed to sense his presence, going still with another one of those whimpers that shot right through Matt’s chest. One gold and one silver eye settled on him, intelligence shining behind them strong enough to take Matt’s breath away.

This…

This was no demon.

The wolf’s fur might once have been snow-white and soft, but right now it was matted with blood and dirt. Scars, raw and painful-looking, crisscrossed its body. Matt couldn’t quite focus on them, almost as if he was drunk and couldn’t quite see properly. Tremors rippled through that large frame, even as it panted for breath.

Matt’s heart clenched at the sight. This poor wolf was _hurting_.

Gently, he reached for it with trembling fingers. Before he could touch it, the wolf bucked, a furious snarl showing razor-sharp teeth and forcing Matt to snatch his hand back. The movement caused the wolf to stumble right off the table. It would have been funny if it hadn’t been so injured. It landed on the floor with another pained whimper, scrabbling at the cobblestone floor awkwardly.

It was then Matt realized it was missing its right front leg.

Anger seeped into his skin, causing his fists to clench. What the hell had happened to this poor thing?

He watched, torn, as the wolf struggled to the corner of the room, pressing itself up against one bookshelf. It was still panting, white foam dripping from its mouth and onto the floor. The poor thing was sick and hurt and too terrified to let Matt near it.

He didn’t know what to do.

How the hell had he summoned this creature? Where had it been before this?

He couldn’t exactly be upset about it. Wherever it had been before was clearly not a good place.

Setting his shoulders determinedly, Matt tiptoed around the destroyed remnants of the room. He calmly left, careful to close the door gently behind him. He returned with some food and water.

The wolf was still in the corner where he’d left it. The poor thing looked about ready to pass out, but its eyes still followed Matt as he carefully placed the food and water a few feet away. He then backed up to the other end of the room and sat down. He picked up the nearest book and started to read.

He could feel terror and confusion humming through their connection, so powerful he almost couldn’t breathe. It can’t have been pleasant being in one place and suddenly appearing somewhere else.

At first, he wasn’t paying attention to the book, hyper aware of every movement the wolf made. But eventually he relaxed, and the book pulled him in. He always enjoyed reading about magical theory and it was his luck that he’d picked up one he hadn’t read yet.

Eventually, he heard the telltale sound of the wolf slurping up water. He dared to glance over and the wolf froze, tongue still in the water. It would have been adorable if the situation were different. Matt sent it a smile and turned back to his book. It took a bit longer for the sound to start up again, but Matt considered it a win.

He wanted to help it, if it would allow it.

\-------------------------------------------

It took several days of keeping his distance before the wolf finally let him approach it.

He’d made a little nest for it in the tightest corner of the room, underneath a table and surrounded on three sides by bookshelves. He figured it helped make the wolf feel safe and he wasn’t about to fight that. After several days of consistent food and water the wolf was starting to look better. It still smelled rank, and definitely needed a bath, but at least it wasn’t panting and drooling on the floor anymore.

He was still thrown off by the intelligence he could see in its eyes. Even if the size hadn’t given it away, its eyes would have been enough to convince him this was no ordinary wolf.

He’d spoken to it several times and it clearly understood what he was saying. Matt just hoped that meant it would listen too.

“So, not that I don’t enjoy your company or whatever, but I do need to tell you that you smell like a skunk had sex with a swamp and I’d really like to give you a bath.”

The wolf contemplated him with those intense eyes, far more focused than a normal animal would be.

“I have a nice big tub we could use, and I’ll even heat up the water for you. No one likes a cold bath, am I right?”

Did he just catch a quick thump of that tail? Someone was definitely interested.

“C’mon, let Spa Holt pamper you.”

Matt tried not to bounce with excitement as the wolf slowly inched out of his makeshift nest, hobbling on three legs towards Matt. It stopped a few feet away, still hesitant.

Matt crouched so he was on eye-level with it, giving it his most sincere look. “I won’t hurt you.” He stuck out his wrist, fingers curled, and waited.

The wolf inched closer, nose twitching as it sniffed at Matt. This close, Matt could see the ugly scar scraping across his snout, likely from a muzzle of some kind.

Whoever did this better hope he never found them.

Something soft brushed up against his knuckles and Matt blinked. Slowly, he unfurled his fingers and let them brush against the wolf’s ear.

_Painpainpain-_

_“You’ll make a fine specimen for her. I haven’t seen a werewolf quite like you be-”_

_“No one can defeat the Champion! Yet another beast falls to his-”_

_He couldn’t change back, he was stuck. Agony seared through his body like molten fire-_

_“I’ve got just the plan for him, Shiro.”_

_Pain._

_“LEAVE MY-”_

_Agony._

_He snarled at the ogre, blood dripping from a cut on his cheek as the crowd-_

_Terror._

_What was happening?_

**_HELP_ ** _._

Matt gasped, falling back onto his butt with a pained groan. His head throbbed with his heartbeat as the room spun around him in a dizzying display. He gripped his hair to try and centre himself.

There was a concerned whimper as something snuffled at him.

Matt lowered his hand, staring at the wolf with wide eyes.

“You’re a werewolf!?”

\------------------------------------------

Shiro contemplated the mage in front of him.

Matt, true to his word, had set up a large bathtub and filled it to the brim with water and soap suds. With a quick incantation and a lightning fast symbol scrawled in the air, the water was steaming. Shiro wanted to sink into it _so badly_. He could feel the fleas in his fur, biting and stinging and _crawling_.

He longed to be clean again.

He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had a bath. In fact, he couldn’t remember much of anything before he landed in Matt’s workroom. Small flashes of memories lingered, too fragmented for him to piece together into anything cohesive.

He knew he was a werewolf. He knew he’d been captured by _someone_. Someone that had done something to prevent him from returning to his human form.

Someone that left him in near-constant pain.

“Alright, if you’re okay with it I can scrub you down?”

Shiro pulled himself back to the present. He eyed the mage, considering. Matt hadn’t insofar done anything to warrant his distrust, but it was there regardless. There seemed to be some kind of bond between them that Shiro didn’t understand. All he could feel from it was a hint of sincerity mixed with a touch of kindness.

Shiro may not remember what all had happened to him but the instincts were still there. When good food and a clean bath were offered to him, his senses screamed ‘trap’. But, the logical part of his brain encouraged him to take advantage. If they were going to feed him and bathe him in order to trap him that was fine. He’d take what they offered while preparing himself for escape.

Shiro carefully hopped up the steps to the lip of the tub. It was shallow enough that he should be able to stand or sit with his head still above the water. He couldn’t figure out how to get in gracefully, so he just hopped right on in.

Matt yelped as a giant splash of water washed over him, covering him in soap suds.

Oops.

“Okay, fine, I guess I should have expected that,” Matt sighed, pulling on his wet shirt so he could take it off. Shiro watched, mesmerized, as the clinging cloth pulled away, revealing smooth skin and a surprisingly toned set of abs.

Mind out of the gutter, Shiro.

Matt shucked off his shoes next, followed by his pants, leaving him just in a pair of dark boxers.  

Shiro felt very warm. Maybe he’d made the water too hot? Yeah, he was going to go with that.

“Alright, let’s get you cleaned up,” Matt said determinedly.

He grabbed a sturdy brush and some soap before stomping up the stairs to join Shiro in the tub.

Having someone scrub him down was both embarrassing and invigorating. He didn’t like that he needed someone to do this for him. He would prefer to take care of things himself. But there was no way he was going to be able to clean off all of this mess himself and he couldn’t deny how nice it felt as the brush scrubbed at his fur. When Matt moved the brush between his ears, Shiro felt his bones melt into jelly.

Bliss. Absolute bliss.

Shiro was so dirty, Matt had to empty and refill the water several times. When he was finally satisfied, he cast some kind of spell that had the room blasted with warm air, drying up the water and their bodies near instantly.

The end result was that Shiro felt like he’d just shed ten pounds of dirt and grime and shame.

“Holy fuck,” Matt whispered, staring at Shiro with something very much like awe. “You’re gorgeous.”

Oh.

Well.

Shiro didn’t really know what to say to that.

_“T-Thank you,”_ He stuttered, even though Matt wouldn’t be able to hear him.

“Hey, no problem. It was the decent thing to do, c’mon.”

Shiro stared at Matt.

Matt stared at Shiro.

_“You...you can hear me?”_

\-------------------------------------------

“And so that’s how I summoned a cursed werewolf instead of a demon.”

Matt’s parents just gaped at him, eyes wide.

Understandable.

Behind them, Katie giggled as she rode Shiro around the living room. Shiro seemed to be having fun, bounding up and down the stairs, tail wagging. The temporary prosthetic Matt had rigged for him was ugly, but at least it seemed to be working well.

After a moment, Matt’s dad sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose with his hand. “You’re telling me that you decided to do some magic well out of your current range by using _my_ book that I did _not_ give you permission to use and somehow managed to summon someone from who knows where all the way to the workroom and then accidentally bound them into a contract of which you can’t get out of and which forces them into obeying your every order?”

Matt winced. Well, when it was put that way…

“Matt, you’ve bound this man into servitude, do you realize that?” Mom said sadly, glancing over as Shiro tore through the kitchen, followed closely by Katie waving a ‘sword’ at him with a battle cry.

“It was an accident.”

It was.

It didn’t make it any easier to deal with.

He’d meant to summon a demon, the type of companion that would happily give up some freedoms just to be able to spend time in the outside world. If you didn’t assert proper control, they were prone to causing problems. Hence, the contract. It was common to use with demons. Shiro was not a demon, he was just a man trapped in his werewolf body. When Matt had completed the binding ritual, he’d unintentionally made Shiro his servant.

“I’ll be careful! I won’t give him any orders! And I’m going to help him find out what happened to him!”

His parents shook their heads, giving each other that look that meant they were somehow communicating to each other without speaking, the way most married couples did. He could feel their disappointment and it _hurt_. It hurt worse than them yelling or grounding him.

Matt didn’t mean for this to happen, but it did. Now, all he could do was make it up to Shiro as best he could.

Matt’s dad ran his hand through his hair. “The Circle, I don’t know what they’ll think of this.”

Matt’s heart clenched at the thought that this would prevent him from making it in. The Circle didn’t look kindly on this kind of contract between two human beings, they probably wouldn’t like it between a human and a werewolf either.

“It could go either way,” Mom said quietly, patting Matt gently on the hand.

Matt straightened in his seat, giving his parents a determined look. “Whatever they say, I still plan to bring him to them anyway. Maybe one of the other mages can find a way to figure out what happened to him. Whatever they had done, it-” he paused, remembering the blood and pain Shiro was dealing with when he first summoned him. “It was bad, okay? Whoever had him needs to be stopped.”

“Magical creatures aren’t very well-liked around here, unfortunately.”

“I don’t _care_! Whatever they were doing is _wrong_ and there might be others suffering, same as Shiro!”

His mom and dad looked at each other, another silent conversation passing between them. Matt held his breath.

“Okay,” Mom said, giving Matt a small smile. “We’ll do whatever we can to help.”

\-------------------------------------------

“I can’t promise you that I’ll never slip up, but I _can_ promise you that I will never do it on purpose.”

Shiro studied the mage across from him. It felt kind of strange to be sitting at the dining table, Matt perched anxiously on the edge of his seat and Shiro straight backed and stiff in his. To outsiders this probably looked ridiculous. Shiro could barely fit in the damn chair, but it was just another courtesy Matt was trying to show him.

Shiro wasn’t just some random wolf.

He was a human being.

“ _I just want to make sure that I’m understanding this right,”_ Shiro said slowly, ears twitching back and forth, the only outward sign of his inner turmoil. “ _We are bound together in a contract…a contract which forces me to obey your every order?_ ”

Matt winced, slumping over the table and resting his head on his folded arms. “Yes,” came his muffled reply.

“ _And how long is this contract supposed to be for?_ ”

Matt mumbled something into his arms.

“ _How long, Matt?_ ”

“I…don’t know.”

He didn’t know.

What if Shiro was trapped like this for the rest of his life? He wasn’t sure how old he was, but he knew werewolves, like most magical creatures, had longer lifespans. He could be stuck for _years_ , tied to this man like a slave. Shiro…Shiro didn’t want that.

Guilt washed over him through their connection, strong enough to send Shiro’s ears flat against his skull and for his hackles to raise involuntarily before Matt was able to shut it down.

“I know, I’m sorry. I’m _sorry_.” Matt’s chair scraped loudly as he shoved it back, moving to pace back and forth in the kitchen. “I swear to you, if you want to leave I won’t stop you. You can go. I will always know where you are, but I won’t come after you. I’ll leave you be.”

He paused, back to Shiro as he stared out the window.

“But if you stay with me, Shiro, I’ll do everything in my power to help you. We’ll find a way to break the curse, we’ll get you your memories back and-and I’ll figure out how to nullify this contract. I won’t be your superior. I won’t give you orders on purpose. We’ll be partners, equals.”

Shiro could go, probably _should_ go. Matt had shown him much more kindness than he expected but that didn’t mean it would last. Sure, he’d try not to give Shiro orders, but could he really do that? To have that kind of power over someone…

“It’s my fault that you’re here, it’s my fault that you’re stuck in this contract,” Matt sighed, slumping back into his chair with a dull thump. “But if given the chance I wouldn’t change a thing.”

Shiro’s eyes met Matt’s as the mage stared at him, looking more serious now than Shiro had ever seen him.

“What little I saw of your memories, they-”

_Pain. Pain. Pain._

_A desperate struggle to escape._

_The horrible feeling that he was missing something important._

“I’m glad you’re out of there, Shiro.”

Shiro wanted to know what happened to him. Wanted to know why he felt like he was missing a part of his soul whenever he curled up in bed all alone. The aching loneliness was slowly going away the longer he stayed with Matt and his family, but still.

He couldn’t deny that having Matt along would be immensely helpful. Most people wouldn’t take a random wolf seriously and he wouldn’t be able to communicate with anyone. Having Matt there opened a lot of doors for Shiro, figuratively and literally. In the end, though, all of these things paled in comparison to one, simple thing:

Shiro didn’t want to be alone.

“ _Alright,_ ” Shiro said quietly. “ _Let’s give it a shot_.”

The beaming smile Matt sent his way was blinding.

Shiro couldn’t look away.

\-------------------------------------------

“I, um, I have a present for you, Shiro-pon.”

Shiro glanced at Matt. The man had taken to calling Shiro all sorts of weird nicknames. It didn’t take him long to realize it was a show of affection. Somehow it warmed him to hear them coming from Matt, but he tried not to show it.

It was embarrassing.

“ _You didn’t have to._ ”

“But I wanted to! I got mom and dad to help me, so it’s from them too. Close your eyes?”

Shiro hesitated. He’d been with Matt for several months now, but he still couldn’t bring himself to fully trust him. What if…

What if he ended up back in that place? The place he couldn’t remember but desperately wanted to avoid. The fear of going back was rooted deep in his soul, even when he couldn’t recall what exactly was so bad about it.

Matt blinked. “Shit! Nevermind! You don’t have to close your eyes. Just-” he struggled to pull something out from a nearby drawer. “We made this for-for you.”

Shiro looked at the oddly wrapped package, covered in burlap. Matt placed it on the floor in front of Shiro, shuffling nervously. Shiro sniffed it, but all he could smell was the burlap, a hint of metal and…wood?

Carefully, Shiro nipped at the edge of the burlap and pulled it away to reveal…

A leg.

More specifically, a prosthetic leg shaped like a wolf’s. It was made from wood, like a gnarled branch twisting around a glowing purple core. Steel plates were built into it here and there, almost like armour and the paw was covered in a steel claw, wicked sharp and deadly. It was…

It was beautiful.

He looked up at Matt, at a loss for words.

“It-it’s magic!” Matt hurriedly cut in, poking at the leg. “It should grow with you if you grow any more. And-and it should transform into a human arm when you’re able to shift again. I-I’m sorry that it’s wood. I work best with that and I thought…I thought it looked pretty cool.”

Shiro continued to stare.

“I-I can change it! Um, but it might take awhile. I can ask- _ah_!“

Shiro cut him off with a flying tackle, knocking the mage to the floor in an ungainly heap. His tail wagged excitedly as he buried his nose into Matt’s neck, encasing him in what he hoped came across as a hug because that’s what he wanted it to be.

Matt…Matt had made him a new leg.

He didn’t have to do that. Shiro could walk okay without it, though awkwardly. The temporary prosthetic they’d made for him also worked just fine. But this…

This was completely above and beyond.

Matt laughed as Shiro’s nose tickled beneath his chin.

The sound warmed Shiro right down to his core.

\-------------------------------------------

Shiro padded softly beside Matt, pressing close to his leg as he eyed the crowd of people around them. They’d come to this huge, stone building connected to the castle for Matt to take his entrance exam. He’d explained to Shiro what the Circle was and what they did for Altea. It seemed admirable enough to Shiro. The thought of being able to help those in need spoke to him on a deep level.

The room they were led to was large, bigger than any room Shiro could remember seeing. Not that he remembered much. The ceiling towered above him, crisscrossed with stained wooden beams the size of trees. A beautiful mural spanned the entirety of it, representing the various magics that existed in this world.

Across from them a raised table had been erected with seven chairs facing Shiro and Matt. Each chair was occupied by a high-ranking member of the Circle, including the leader, Archmage Iverson. At the back of the room, Shiro could just make out a few spectators. Colleen and Sam were there as well as Matt’s sister, Pidge. Apparently, it wasn’t uncommon for family members to be allowed to watch the exam.

“Welcome, Matthew Holt,” Archmage Iverson grumbled, looking down at his papers. “We are-”

“Just Matt,” Matt interrupted, chin held high.

“I…excuse me?”

“I go by Matt, not Matthew.”

Shiro groaned internally. Weren’t these people supposed to be some of the top mages in the entire world? It didn’t seem like a good idea to piss them off.

Archmage Iverson glared. “We will refer to you as Holt, then.”

Matt nodded graciously, as if that was his intention all along. Maybe it was, Shiro didn’t know him all that well.

It surprised him to realize that he wanted to learn more.

“Holt, we welcome you to the Circle Entrance Examination. We have been advised of your…special circumstance.” At this, Iverson glanced at Shiro.

“My…familiar is a werewolf, yes.”

Shiro’s fur bristled as some of the spectators whispered to themselves. His keen hearing picked up words like ‘disgusting’, ‘creature’ and ‘tainted’. Nice to know that one of the few things he had memories of, like the prejudice against magical creatures, was completely accurate.

Iverson’s lips thinned. “Do you fully understand the severity of this action?”

For the first time Matt hesitated, his calm confidence draining away for just a moment to reveal the uncertainty and regret beneath.

“Yes,” he said seriously.

Iverson stared at them both grimly. “We shall see.”

“Are you ready to begin your test?” A female mage asked, face grim.

They were so serious here.

“Yes,” Matt nodded sharply.

“Let’s begin.”

It happened quickly. Shiro blinked once and suddenly they were in a vast forest. The room had melted away like a sandcastle beneath the waves, clearing a path for trees and the chirping of birds. It felt so real, even the smell of damp leaves left his nose itching.

Shiro’s heartbeat stuttered as his fur stiffened in discomfort.

“Careful,” Matt said softly, placing a hand on Shiro’s back.

It was strangely grounding.

Shiro didn’t know anything about these tests. Apparently, it was a very well-kept secret, making it difficult for Matt to properly prepare for it.

Matt looked around, golden-brown eyes scanning the trees and bushes. Shiro followed suit, ears swivelling as he catalogued the different sounds echoing around them. A strange smell drifted across his nose.

“ _It smells like…wet fur_ ,” Shiro said, lifting his nose up higher to try and detect where it was coming from.

“That can’t be good.”

There.

“ _To the south, I think_.”

Matt nodded, carefully stepping through the underbrush towards the south. Twigs and leaves crunched beneath his feet. He was not very good at being subtle.

Something rustled the bushes nearby and the scent of wet fur spiked drastically.

“ _Watch out!_ ” he yelled, barrelling into Matt’s legs gracelessly and sending him to the forest floor with an indignant squawk.

“Shiro, wait-”

A large warthog launched itself at them with a high-pitched squeal, large tusks already stained with blood and drool leaking from its gaping mouth. Shiro moved to tackle it just as Matt launched a thunderbolt. The bolt barely missed Shiro, grazing his fur close enough to burn it slightly. Shiro stumbled, crashing into the warthog awkwardly and causing the bolt to miss. It was like running full pelt into a wall, knocking the breath out of him on one fell swoop.

“Shit!” Matt yelped, struggling to his feet.

“ _Don’t hit_ me _, hit the warthog!_ ”

“I’m _trying_ but you’re getting in the damn way!”

Irritation swept through Shiro as he danced back from the warthog’s thrashing tusks. He was trying to help that idiot, and this was how Matt repaid him?

“ _Just, warn me next time, please!”_

“Of course, I’ll just say ‘excuse me, kind Shiro, if you wouldn’t mind, I’d like to shoot that warthog that’s running full tilt at you with a thunderbolt. If you would be so kind as to move aside, I will do so post haste’. Meanwhile, you’ve already been skewered!”

Before Shiro could reply the warthog was back on its feet, shaking its head as it readied itself for another attack.

Matt sketched out another rune, this one more complicated than the last. Just as he was completing the formation, Shiro’s ear twitched towards some more rustling in another bush. And then another. And another.

“ _Matt-_ ”

Matt was too focused on his spell, slamming his palm into the sigil he’d just completed. Fire erupted from the symbol, roaring towards the warthog in a blast of heat and sparks.

The bushes rustled again just as the warthog screeched, so high Shiro’s ears flattened against his skull. Shiro tried not to pay attention to it, watching as five more warthogs burst through the bushes, eyes crazed as drool leaked from their mouths.

This was bad.

Without really considering it, Shiro turned towards Matt, adrenaline spiking through him and warning him to _run_. His thoughts were so strong, Matt actually stiffened momentarily. As if moving in sync, no words spoken between them, Shiro jumped forward just as Matt latched onto his fur. They moved as one, Shiro bracing himself for Matt’s weight even as he leapt towards one of the warthogs, claws scraping at it viciously. The warthog squealed, stepping back and leaving enough space for Shiro to push through the bushes and _run_.

Matt’s fingers dug into his fur, body pressed up against Shiro’s back as they tore through the forest, trees blurring past and branches stinging skin.

“What the hell was that?!” Matt yelled as Shiro hopped over a fallen tree. Matt had subconsciously adjusted his stance before they even reached the tree.

“ _I don’t know, you’re the expert here!_ ”

“I-” Matt grit his teeth as Shiro skirted around a roaring river, hopping over the rocks like Matt weighed nothing. “I just suddenly knew what you were planning!”

Was it their connection? If Shiro could speak into Matt’s mind, was it possible they could share thoughts and actions? Shiro could sometimes feel emotions leaking through their link that he was certain were not his own. Were they Matt’s?

They reached a small clearing, sunshine sparkling through the branches warm and inviting and Shiro slowed to a halt, ears straining to see if he could hear sounds of pursuit. Those warthogs were not normal, and he wouldn’t have been surprised if they gave chase.

Matt slid off Shiro’s back gracelessly, sinking to the ground on shaky legs. “Holy fuck you run so damn fast.”

“ _Sorry, I just wanted to get as far away from-_ ”

“It was _awesome_!”

Oh. Oh no.

“ _I_ -”

“We could travel so fast like that! Everyone will be so impressed.”

Shiro scraped his paw in the dirt. “ _No._ ”

“What? Why not?” Matt looked so disappointed.

“ _Just…no. This was just to get you to safety. I-_ ” Shiro paused, dread sinking in his stomach. Did he just ruin Matt’s chances at passing this test? They’d run away instead of defeating the threat.

Matt seemed to sense Shiro’s discomfort because he smirked, scratching behind Shiro’s ear in the way he was quickly coming to love. “You made the right decision.”

He did?

“I have a feeling we were supposed to run away. To show that we know when to retreat instead of caving into our pride.” He paused, pointing up at the sky. “You hear that, geezers!? We’re on to you!”

Yeah. There was no way they were passing this test.

\-------------------------------------------

Matt peered at the cave.

This had to be a trap. It had to be.

And yet-

“Matt! Help me!”

The mage clenched his teeth, heart flinching at the terror in that familiar voice.

“ _It can’t be her. They wouldn’t bring a child into this._ ”

Logically Matt knew this, but even still. The Circle entrance exams were legendary. Every scrap of information Matt had been able to get on what it was like differed widely. Some said they’d had to scale mountains. Others had to swim deep into the ocean. Some just fought opponent after opponent in a gladiator style arena.

Matt wondered if each test was tailored to the person taking it. It seemed to be the case. They were in a forest here, an unfamiliar location for Matt who lived in the capital. They’d stumbled across a variety of opponents, some simple wolves (easily scared away by Shiro’s impressive growl) while others were more complicated, like the group of bandits they’d dispatched not far away. Those bandits were guarding this cave, holding captive a group of people ready to be sold for slavery.

“Matt! Please!”

Pidge’s voice was hoarse from screaming. Matt couldn’t see her, but it sounded so much like her it pained him to hear it.

What if-

What if they really _had_ put her in this?

Shiro shifted beside him. Matt couldn’t help but be grateful that the werewolf was with him. He would have made many stupid mistakes if it hadn’t been for Shiro’s warnings. They seemed to be making a great team, even with the rocky start. Matt was quickly learning that he needed to think more before rushing into things.

“ _We can’t_ not _try and save her. So, we just have to be extra cautious. We know this is a trap. That is our advantage._ ”

“Right,” Matt said, adjusting his grip on his staff. “I’ll come at it from the south. If you can circle around and come in from the north, we’ll pincer it.”

Shiro was already off before Matt had even finished speaking, slinking through the underbrush hardly making a sound. How an animal that large could be so sneaky, Matt had no freaking clue.

This ‘mind meld’ as Matt had come to call it was turning into a really amazing trump card. It was the power of two combined into one. Two instincts, two senses, two brains calculating options. It was the closest Matt had ever let anyone get to his inner thoughts. It was as terrifying as it was exhilarating.

“ _Ready._ ”

Matt nodding, stepping forward and knowing subconsciously that Shiro was moving forward as well. They crept closer and closer to the cave entrance, sweat trickled down Matt’s back as they neared the dark opening.

Before he could poke his head around the edge, a loud, disquieting alarm blasted throughout the clearing, nearly startling Matt right out of his skin.

“ ** _Intruders_**.” A voice rang in Matt’s mind, powerful and commanding.

The cave exploded in a gust of fiery heat, so close it burned his skin and he cried out, stumbling back blindly. Alarm spiked through his connection with Shiro, sharp and frightened.

As the heat subsided, Matt dared to move his hands away from his face, taking in the smoke and ash raining from the sky. The cave was reduced to blackened rubble, barely distinguishable in the dense smoke.

It was gone.

There was-

“P-pidge?” He mumbled softly, heart racing frantically at the thought that something might have happened to his sister, as irrational is it might be.

“ _Matt_ -”

Footsteps exploded into the cave clearing as a dozen well-armed bandits stomped through the underbrush, surrounding them.

“Stop them!”

No.

No, this wasn’t happening.

Static settled over his mind like incoming fog, turning the surrounding green into varying shades of grey.

“Wait…” he mumbled, gripping his head. “Stop…”

He couldn’t have this happen here. Not when the Circle was watching.

“ _M…att…_ ” Shiro’s voice echoed in and out.

Matt couldn’t feel him anymore his body going numb as _it_ took over. He was sinking, drowning in the static. A golden glow burst before his eyes.

And then there was nothing.

\-------------------------------------------

“ _Matt!_ ”

Shiro watched in dawning horror as the mage’s eyes flickered once, twice, three times before bursting with light. Wind swept through the clearing, so strong it sent Shiro stumbling sideways. The bandits raced towards them, swords raised. There were too many of them. What-

Matt lifted his hand, scrawling a sharp sigil in the air different from what Shiro usually saw from him. The wind picked up in speed, howling like a thousand hungry demons, whipping Matt’s cloak back and forth but the man himself stood still. The bandits shielded their eyes from the gale which soon grew strong enough to send a few of them flying backwards into trees.

Matt’s other hand came up, another symbol written over the first. The air grew chilly, causing puffs of fog to ghost through the air every time Shiro breathed. Hail fell from the sky, first the size of rain drops but steadily expanding to dangerous proportions. One large hail stone pelted a bandit in the head and blood burst from his face as he collapsed. The wind continued to howl, swirling together into a tornado strong enough to tear limbs from bodies.

And yet, it didn’t touch Matt and it grazed over Shiro, first in warning then more gently, like it understood he wasn’t the enemy here.

Shiro could only watch as the bandits were swept up into the tornado along with bits of rock and foliage. Even some trees uprooted from the ground, joining the growing storm. The unconscious bandits were lucky, they wouldn’t feel it as the wind tore them apart.

Some were not so fortunate.

Shiro shuddered as screams echoed from the confines of the wind, fading in and out through the roaring gale.

This was…

“ _Matt! Stop!_ ” Shiro called out, taking a stuttering step towards the mage.

Matt didn’t even acknowledge him, eyes hooded as they continued to glow, eerily bright through the darkness.

Shiro tried to reach for him through their new bond, but it was like running full tilt into a brick wall. Something was blocking him, something more powerful than Shiro could possibly imagine.

Still, he wasn’t one to give up.

“ _Matt!_ ” He called out again, inching even closer. “ _Wake up!_ ”

Nothing. No spark of recognition, not even a glance.

Shiro growled darkly. Whatever this was, he wasn’t about to let it take over Matt completely.

Steeling himself, Shiro leapt forward mentally, crashing into the barrier with as much force as he could muster. It cracked, spiderwebs of fractures splintering through it.

“ _Matt!_ ”

Shiro backed up, a furious snarl sending his hackles up as he launched himself again, sending bits of broken brick to trickle away.

“ _Sh…ro…?_ ”

Shiro pawed at the damage, watching as fissures broke out further along the barrier, rumbling as orange light filtered through.

“ _Matt, come back!_ ”

With one last ferocious roar, Shiro crashed through the barrier, sinking into the warm, orange glow that was all Matt.  

Gentle hands gripped his fur and Shiro’s heart thundered in his chest.

“ _I got you_ …”

\-------------------------------------------

Matt gasped, sucking in a breath so cold his throat burned. He coughed, forcing his eyes open on to see a wall of fur blocking his vision. He was laying on the ground. When did that happen?

“Shiro?”

“ _Don’t look!_ ”

“Wha-Shiro what’s-”

“ _Don’t!_ ”

Matt blinked as something red splashed against Shiro’s fur, a dark spot against all the white. Another drop splattered next to it, then another, and another. Matt flinched as a drop landed on his hand, cold and wet and…red. Red was everywhere. It looked like-

Dirt and grass crumbled beneath his fingers as the coppery scent of blood washed over him.

It was raining blood.

How?

Shiro pressed closer to him and Matt could feel the unease through their bond, a bond thrumming with power and life, even stronger than before.

Before Matt could do more than blink, the sky started to dissolve, pieces of it blowing away like dust in the wind and revealing the high ceilings of the Circle.

The illusion was ending.

The test was over.

What had happened?

Shiro’s startling mismatched eyes turned to him. They almost seemed to be staring right through him, piercing his soul. Matt’s chest ached at the sensation.

“ _Shiro?_ ” Matt asked through their bond.

He sat up.

Around them, swiftly dissolving, was a landscape torn right from a nightmare.

Body parts littered the clearing, drenched in blood, bits of startling white bone peeking through the blanket of red, red, red…

Horror crashed into Matt, so strong he wanted to throw up.

It had taken him over. Again.

The gruesome scene disintegrated like the rest of the forest, leaving Matt shaking on the floor of the Circle. Shiro whined softly, clearing feeling Matt’s distress as he pressed closer to him.

The assembled high mages were somber, some obviously uncomfortable as they all stared at Matt and Shiro. They had witnessed Matt’s destructive force firsthand. Matt could only be thankful that the bandits had been illusions and not real people, but it was a small mercy.

The silence in the room was deafening. Matt could hear every slight shift of fabric, every intake of breath as the crowd that came to watch looked around in confusion.

“Everyone out,” Archmage Iverson ordered, waving his hand towards the onlookers. His eyes were dark and serious, mouth pulled down into a stern grimace. There was some hushed whispering as the people filed out, clearly unsure as to what was going on.

Matt pushed himself to his feet, fists clenched tightly at his sides as he stared hard at Iverson’s shoulder. There was no way they were going to allow him into the Circle after that stunt. Matt was a monster, incapable of controlling his destructive power and a danger to everyone around him.

“ _That wasn’t you,_ ” Shiro said firmly, voice resonating with the feeling of certainty.

Matt wished he could share that sentiment.

The Archmage stood stiffly as the door closed behind the last of the onlookers, so still he was practically a statue. It wasn’t until the door thudded closed that he sighed, suddenly looking much older.

“Explain.”

Matt shifted. “I…I don’t know what it is. It’s been around for…a long time.”

“What happens to you when it comes out?”

“I…I black out. I don’t know what’s going on when it happens. I have no control.”

Iverson rubbed his temples, brow furrowed deeply.

“That kind of power is…unsettling,” he finally murmured, eyes opening slowly to pin Matt with a glare. “We need to convene and discuss this. You will wait here.”

Matt watched, miserable, as the leaders filed out through a side door leaving Shiro and Matt alone in the giant atrium. Matt sighed, putting his head in his hands.

“ _It wasn’t you, Matt_.”

“You don’t know that. It’s been around for as long as I can remember.”

“ _It wasn’t_ you _._ ” Shiro insisted, pressing closer to him and licking his shaking hands. “ _Whatever it was had blocked you out. I couldn’t reach you without taking down its walls first. It wasn’t you._ ”

Matt looked at Shiro’s mismatched eyes, so full of certainty it made his heart stop. So much faith, in just one look.

He didn’t deserve that.

But to push that back on Shiro would be spitting in the face of his belief in him.

Matt swallowed carefully, wrapping his arms around the wolf in a tight embrace.

He’d just have to improve until he’d earned that faith.

For Shiro, and for himself.

\-------------------------------------------

When they announced that they’d be inviting him into the Circle, it was with a certain amount of disbelief and unwavering certainty that they were only letting him in so they could study his predicament that Matt accepted the offer.

His teachers kind of wished he hadn’t.  


\-------------------------------------------

Their first mission alone did _not_ go according to plan.

Myzax grinned as he ripped a chunk of meat from his skewer of rabbit.

“I think we’re moving up, boys. This mage is going to get us a nice, juicy purse of gold.”

The others cheered, knocking their flasks together as they sat around the fire. The fire burned brightly, hissing and popping with the fatty juices of the game they’d caught.

Myzax looked over at their captive. The mage was tied up nicely, arms strapped behind his back and legs restrained at the ankles and thighs. Myzax had tied a blindfold around his eyes and his fingers were carefully secured. He couldn’t risk the mage casting any troublesome spells. His skin was flushed with fever, the magebane doing a very good job of keeping him nice and pliant.

Just the way Myzax liked it.

He stood up to survey him more closely, tossing the empty skewer into the fire. The mage had long hair tied back in a ponytail. He crouched down in front of the man, reaching out to touch it. The mage flinched, trying to jerk away but the tree behind him kept him firmly in place. His hair was surprisingly soft and Myzax ran his fingers through it, relishing the shudder wracking his captive.

“It’s a long journey back to town, mageling,” he whispered softly, letting his lips brush against the man’s ear. “No one out here will hear you scream.”

Surprisingly, the mage chuckled.

“You’re gonna die here,” he grinned, confidence oozing out of him even with the fever.

Myzax laughed. “I like your spunk. No one is coming to save you. We’re not some third-rate gang. We’ve got spotters all through this forest, watching out for trouble. They’ll signal us the moment anyone comes into view. You’re all alone.”

The mage’s lips turned up into a sneer. “Why don’t you try calling for them, then?”

This guy sounded so confident, so _sure_ , it caused Myzax to hesitate. Was it possible someone could sneak by?

Surely not. He was bluffing. Stalling.

Myzax gave an indulgent smile. “I wonder how long this confidence will last when I’m through with you?”

His grip on the mage’s hair tightened, pulling it back far enough that he hissed in pain.

“Will you still be smiling when I fuck that pretty mouth of yours?”

The mage laughed again; the sound sent Myzax’s hairs on end. “Will you still be smiling when he bites your tiny dick off?”

There was a howl in the distance, chilling and cold. It shot right down Myzax’s spine, causing him to stiffen.

“I’m the distraction, bitch,” The mage whispered.

Before Myzax could respond, there was a choked off scream. Then another. And another. His eyes widened as he stood up, drawing his sword. The others around the fire stared uneasily at each other as they rose, some still clutching onto their drinks.

“Did you hear that?” Yondel asked, eyes scanning the dark trees.

They all froze, listening.

The horses shuffled nervously, eyes wide and terrified as they huddled together.

Something was out there.

“Get to your-”

Myzax was interrupted by a horrifying snarl, loud and dark and _angry_. Something leapt from the trees, an enormous white blur. It crashed into Yondel, cutting off his scream with a wet squelch. Blood burst from his throat as the monster ripped it open-

“Kill it!” Myzax roared, rushing forward.

Grell screamed as the creature pounced, pushing him right into the fire. The stench of burning flesh almost caused Myzax to gag as Grell’s agonized screams reverberating around the clearing.

A crossbow twanged as Harken tried to shoot it, but the monster was already moving, so fast it was difficult to keep track.

Someone else fell onto the fire with a pained cry, plunging the clearing into darkness. Myzax eyes strained, trying to see with the few shafts of moonlight peeking through the thick foliage of the forest.

He stormed over to the mage, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt.

“Call it off!” Myzax roared, gripping the mage’s bicep tight enough to bruise.

“No one will hear you scream,” the mage whispered into the sudden silence.

Myzax shook as a low growl sounded behind him. He dropped the mage, turning slowly. From the darkness two eyes glowed, one gold and one silver. They moved closer to a shaft of light, revealing one enormous paw and razor-sharp teeth dripping with blood.

Myzax shook his head, taking a shaky step back. “Please.”

The wolf advanced, stalking, like a predator that had cornered its prey. There was no sympathy there.

Myzax stumbled back, tripping over a root and crashing to the forest floor. He scrambled back, arm outstretched with his sword. If he killed the mage, would it leave him be? His eyes darted towards the man.

The wolf pounced.

No one heard him scream.

\-------------------------------------------

“Ah, you’re s’ sooooooft,” Matt slurred, fingers sliding through Shiro’s fur in slow circles.

Damn if it didn’t feel so nice.

“ _Matt, you’re burning with fever and-_ ”

“I looooove ‘ooouuu puppy, I ‘ove ‘ouuuu.”

If Shiro could blush his entire face would be beet red right now. Matt was so delirious from the magebane, there was no way he really meant what he was saying.

Even if Shiro desperately wanted him to.

“ _Don’t call me a puppy._ ”

Matt just mumbled unintelligibly, pressing his face into the back of Shiro’s neck. He was a heavy weight along Shiro’s back, but it wasn’t the first time Shiro had carried him and it probably wouldn’t be the last.

At least he hoped it wouldn’t. Matt’s condition was not good, and he couldn’t-

No.

He wasn’t going to even think about that.

Matt had been given some supplies to call for help from his mentor if things went wrong, but Matt was way too out of it to use it and Shiro couldn’t do it for him. Stupid Circle. They should have considered that. _Shiro_ should have considered that.

What a mess.

His white coat was still matted with blood and dirt. Adrenaline was still pumping through his veins as he carried Matt through the forest as quickly as he could manage. He couldn’t help but wonder what would have happened if he hadn’t made it in time. That bandit was bad news and he’d had Matt at his mercy. Shiro never should have left Matt’s side.

A finger poked into Shiro’s eye. “Shhh, shhhh,” Matt shushed him, clearly thinking he’d placed a finger to Shiro’s mouth and not his goddamn eye. “’m fiiiine.”

“ _You are very much_ not _fine._ ”

“You’re right, ‘m _smokin’_ hot.” Shiro could practically feel the smirk on Matt’s face, the idiot. “Really hot, like…’m boiling…”

Well Shiro truly couldn’t argue with that, if he was being honest with himself. Matt wiggled around on Shiro’s back, nearly tumbling right off with his movements.

“ _Matt-_ ”

Sure enough, the mage fell right off Shiro’s back, falling to the forest floor with a dull thump.

“’m too hot…” Matt mumbled, pulling at his cloak weakly, face flushed.

Shiro nipped at his cloak, helping pull it away. Shit. Where could they put it? Matt couldn’t carry it and Shiro couldn’t get it on his back himself. Matt slumped against a nearby tree, clearly too tired to sit up straight. Lethargy wafted to Shiro through their bond, thick and heavy.

“’m jus’ gonna…” Matt’s eyes slipped closed.

“ _Matt, no, stay awake!_ ”

But Matt just mumbled something, breathing laboured as his head lolled to the side.

This wasn’t good. He was losing him. Clearly, they’d used way too much magebane as a precaution.

Shiro tossed Matt’s cloak aside, scanning the forest. He needed to find someone that could help. Shiro was useless like this. He sank to the forest floor, trying to get as low as possible so it would be easier for Matt to clamber onto his back.

“ _Matt, I need you to get back on._ ”

Matt didn’t reply, sending another spike of worry through Shiro’s heart.

Their connection was muted and wonky due to Matt’s fever, but he could still feel Matt trying desperately to stay awake.

He nudged his nose under Matt’s hand, silently urging him on. He couldn’t believe he was about to say this, but he’d swallow his pride if it meant Matt would listen. “ _C’mon Matt, I know how much you like riding me_.”

Matt snorted out a soft laugh, fingers twitching along Shiro’s snout. “Kinky. Didn’ know you ha’ it in you.”

“ _You’re a bad influence._ ”

Matt’s smirk was reassuring, even as he groaned and pulled himself back up onto Shiro’s back.

“Mush, mush.”

Okay, Shiro took it back. He should just leave him there to suffer.

“Liar,” Matt mumbled into his fur.

Shiro took off, sniffing at the air and ground for any sign of someone that might be able to help. He couldn’t lose Matt, not now.

They were partners.

It took a good half hour before Shiro found something. He was panicking at this point, feeling Matt slip further and further away through their bond. The mage hadn’t said anything for some time, just clung weakly to Shiro’s back. Shiro was so distracted; he nearly missed the smell of mint overlaid by the unmistakeable scent of soap.

He followed the smell as it meandered through the forest edge, clearly picking various herbs and roots as it went. This definitely seemed like a person gathering ingredients for something.

As he passed through the last of the trees he came out into a clearing. Nestled on a small rise was a little village, only a few houses littered the area, smoke trailing lazily from a few chimneys. The house closest to the forest had an expansive garden and he could just make out a large man tending to it. The man hummed to himself as he worked, adjusting the bandana around his forehead absently.

As Shiro neared, the man finally seemed to notice his presence. He turned around, blinking at Shiro in surprise before dropping his basket of herbs with a startled yelp.

Shiro blinked back at him.

“Oh no, this is it! This is the end, isn’t it?! Oh gods, please don’t eat me! I wouldn’t taste very good. I’m all carbs and no substance. Well, I guess I might taste a _little_ good, but I would really rather you not…try…”

Shiro tilted his head to the side, trying to look as non-threatening as possible. He needed this man’s help. He couldn’t afford to scare him away.

The man’s entire body wiggled with anxiety. Shiro had never seen that happen before.

“Um,” he paused, eyes darting over Shiro. “I’m just gonna…back up…”

He started to take a careful step backwards but Shiro gave a sharp bark and he froze in place once more.

Shiro really didn’t have time for this.

With a mental apology to the man, he stalked forward, trying to get close enough he could see Matt.

“Hunk? Did you find the-” a new, female voice called out and suddenly the man’s whole demeanor changed.

“Stay back!” the man, Hunk, yelled, sticking out his arm to block Shiro’s path, face set in determination. Behind him, a strange woman was staring at the scene in surprise. Her whole body was covered in what looked like stone, cracked and worn in some places but still strong. “Get back inside, Shay!”

Shay sighed, stepping forward to put her hand on Hunk’s shoulder. “Hunk, that’s no ordinary wolf.”

Bless this woman.

“W-well I’ve never seen a wolf before, how am I supposed to know?!”

Shay gave Shiro a look. “City boys.”

Ah, that explained it.

“Um, can someone please explain what’s going on? I’d love to know what’s going on,” Hunk mumbled, relaxing slightly and giving Shiro a sheepish look.

Shiro slid to the ground, lowering his head so they could see Matt better.

Shay gasped, rushing forward to place her hand gently on Matt’s forehead. “He’s burning up!”

“Get him inside,” Hunk said, turning to dig through his bag of herbs. “I’ll whip up something for him.”

To Shiro’s surprise, Shay wrapped her arms around Matt a lifted him easily. What a woman.

“Don’t worry, everything’s going to be okay.” Shay smiled.

Her soft smile had Shiro actually believing her.

\-------------------------------------------

Matt awoke to the smell of baking bread and a headache the size of a mountain.

“Ow.” He muttered, wincing.

“ _Matt?_ ”

“Snookums, how much did I drink last night?”

“ _Uh…_ ”

“That would be the magebane hangover,” A new voice cut in and Matt tensed, looking over to see a woman made out of stone standing in the doorway with a tray of steaming soup that smelled like heaven.

Matt would feel worried about being in a strange place with a stone woman, but Shiro wasn’t reacting to her so he was pretty sure she’d been vetted by his overprotective friend. The woman stepped into the room, placing the tray on the nightstand next to the bed.

“Excuse my Olkarion but that soup smells fucking delicious.”

The woman laughed, a strange sound almost like two rocks grinding together. “Hunk is an excellent cook, I assure you. Make sure you eat as much as you can. You need to build up your strength again.”

Matt glanced at Shiro who stared back at him earnestly. Shrugging, Matt picked up the soup and started to inhale it like a savage. “What… _slurp_ …what happened?”

“My name is Shay and my husband is Hunk. Your friend here brought you to us. You were very sick from a large dose of magebane.”

Magebane…mage…oh, shit! Those bandits!

“ _They’re taken care of_.”

Matt nodded slowly, keeping his face impassive. Shiro was probably already upset he’d had to kill people, even if it was to protect Matt. Better not to make a big deal out of it.

“Where are we?” He asked instead, picking up the bun next to the soup and groaning at how soft it was. Holy crap, this was amazing.

“This is Oriande. We’re a small village, but it’s home. Hunk is the town alchemist and I teach the kids their basic education, as required by His Majesty.”

“Well, thank you for saving me. I-I was in a bad way. And thank you for not murdering my friend. He looks scary but he’s just a big softie.”

Shiro huffed out a quiet ‘woof’.

Shay smiled at Shiro before she shuffled nervously, glancing at Matt’s badge. Matt quirked an eyebrow at her.

“I-” She paused, hesitating. “It is surprising to see a Circle mage with a werewolf partner.”

Matt finished off the stew with a satisfied sigh, rubbing his belly, deliberately casual. “My stance on magical creatures is…unique. You have nothing to fear from me.”

Shay relaxed minutely. “I’m glad to hear that. Get some rest. You’re welcome to stay as long as you need.”

Matt watched as she left the room, taking the tray with her and quietly closing the door behind her with a soft click. He turned to Shiro.

“How in the hell did you manage to find the nicest, sweetest cinnamon roll couple in the entire world?”

Shiro snorted, tilting his head to look at Matt imploringly. Wordlessly, Matt patted the bed. Shiro hopped up beside him, flopping his not inconsiderable weight across Matt’s stomach as he settled down. It was a comforting weight and Matt snuggling in against him. If Shiro thought he was clinging to him a little too much, he declined to comment on it.

“ _That was a bit too close. I’m sorry I put you through that, butter tart._ ” Matt said telepathically, comfortable in Shiro’s familiar scent.

Shiro’s tail twitched. “ _I’ll always come for you._ ”

Matt smiled into his pillow.

“ _Me too._ ”

\-------------------------------------------

_Present_

Shiro awoke to swirling darkness and sparkling stars.

He sat up with a start, heart pounding in fear. What happened? Where-?

All around him swirls of purples, blues and pinks twirled around an inky black landscape, lit only with bright spots of light that winked in and out of existence as far as the eye could see. His perception of things was off, his vision much wider than what he was used to. He went to paw at his face, but where he expected to feel fur, he instead felt _flesh_.

Startled, Shiro jerked back. His eyes landed on his…hand. A human hand. Heart beating a staccato rhythm in his chest, Shiro looked down at himself.

Arms, legs, a torso. His prosthetic had changed, just like Matt had said it would.

He was human again. Human for the first time in over 10 years.

Sucking in a shaking breath, Shiro pushed himself to his feet, wavering unsteadily. He felt his legs, his arms, his _hair_. He almost couldn’t believe it. What had happened? How did he get back to this?

“Matt?” He called out, uncertain. His voice was hoarse from disuse, but still familiar, somehow. It was strange to hear his own voice. Was that what he always sounded like?

“ _Matt_?” He tried again, telepathically, but his call hit an impenetrable mental wall.

Before Shiro could focus on the blockage, a swirl of purple lights coalesced in front of him, building in size until it became about the size of a door. He crouched into a fighting stance without even realizing it, eyes narrowed as a figure stepped through the mist.

Her long, white hair cascaded over her shoulder, yellow eyes glowing brightly in the darkness. Her ears were pointed, like the elves that had died out long, long ago and she had dark pink markings on her face, sharp and pointed. She glowed a faint purple, radiating power that seemed oddly familiar.

“ ** _Hello, Takashi Shirogane._** ”

Takashi Shirogane. Was that his full name?

“ ** _You do not remember, do you? I could help you remember. Come._** ” The woman held out her hand towards him, a soft smile on her face. “ ** _Let me help you._** ”

Shiro narrowed his eyes. “Where is Matt?”

The woman tilted her head. “ ** _The one you call Matt is dead._** ”

Shiro’s heart froze in his chest as pain lanced across his soul. Dead? Matt was dead? No, that-

“No…”

“ ** _And I fear you will be too if you do not join me. Let me help you._** ”

But Shiro couldn’t listen to her. Dead? Matt couldn’t die. He was invincible. He-he was Matthew Fucking Holt; death wouldn’t even dream of messing with him.

He reached out again to Matt through their bond, coming up short at the barrier once more. He clawed at it, desperate to feel that warm glow once again. Without it he felt empty, like a piece of his soul had been ripped out and left to bleed.

“ _Matt!_ ” Shiro cried out. How could this of happened? Shiro should have been there. He should have protected him, he should have-

“ _Sh…r…o?”_

Shiro froze.

It was faint, so faint he could almost believe that he was making it all up out of desperation. But his heart told him it was true.

He looked over at the woman, fury sparking in his eyes. “Who are you?”

The woman grimaced. She raised her hand and purple ribbons wrapped around Shiro’s arms, his legs, covering his mouth and holding him down even as he struggled. “ ** _This would have been much easier if you had just accepted my offer. I do not have time to wait for you to accept your fate._** ”

Shiro growled beneath the restraints, fingers curling into claws.

The woman stepped towards him. “ ** _I will show you and you will bend to me or you will_** _break **.**_ ”

She placed her finger on his forehead, almost gently.

Memories assaulted him, so quickly his body spasmed in pain at the onslaught.

Shiro screamed.

\-------------------------------------------

“Wait, wait, wait, let me just get this straight,” Matt interrupted, rubbing his eyelids with one hand. “You and Shiro are...twins?”

Kuro looked at him. “Yes.”

“Twins as in, identical?”

Kuro glanced at Pidge, confused. “That is generally what is meant by ‘twins’.”

“Well, to be fair, there are non-identical twins.” Pidge shrugged, giving Matt a knowing look.

“This is true,” Kuro agreed, looking back to Matt. “We were separated when-”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I just want to be certain I’m understanding this,” Matt interrupted again, waving his hands in the air. “You’re telling me Shiro, _my_ Shiro, loyal traveling companion, looks like…” he paused, gesturing to Kuro.

Kuro waited for him to continue. When he didn’t, Kuro frowned. “Like…?”

Matt just gestured at him with more emphasis.

Pidge shook her head. “Don’t mind him, he’s just freaking out that the werewolf he had a crush on that he’s never actually seen in person is actually a hot dude.”

Matt didn’t even deny it.

When you’re right, you’re right.

“Oh, I...you think I’m hot?”

“Okay, we’re getting off track here.” Ulaz said, looking pained.

“I agree with him,” Pidge said.

“Fine, fine. Go ahead.”

Kuro sighed. “We were separated from our pack, captured by the Galra and used as experiments. They were trying to create the perfect sacrifice. Magical creatures seem to be the best for them, either as a vessel or to help empower the vessel and make it stronger. The scars…they allowed them to control the would-be sacrifice and imbue it with power.”

Kuro ran his hand through his hair anxiously. “They’d selected Shiro to be the vessel. They…they hurt him and then one day he just…disappeared. They were _furious_.”

Ulaz grabbed Kuro’s hand, squeezing it gently. The werewolf leaned into him, clearly gaining comfort from his presence.

“They looked everywhere for Shiro, but they couldn’t find him. They were going to use me next but Ulaz was able to get me out. I’ve been helping the Blades ever since and trying to find Shiro. I…I had no idea he would have ended up in Altea of all places.”

Matt winced. “The, uh, circumstances of Shiro’s arrival are…classified.”

Pidge rolled her eyes. “Matt accidentally summoned him.”

“ _Pidge_ _!_ ”

A burst of surprised laughter met that announcement, and Kuro shook his head. “Even if it was an accident, I’m glad it happened. I’m glad he got away.”

Matt slumped. “In the end it didn’t matter…”

Pidge put a hand on his elbow. “Matt…”

“But it doesn’t matter,” Matt continued, straightening up. “I’m not leaving him with those people and I’m _not_ letting Kolivan destroy him either. I’m going to save him and bring him home.”

Kuro stepped forward, giving Matt a look swimming with a thousand emotions. “I’m not giving up. Not when I’m finally so close to finding him again.”

Matt nodded. “Let’s bring him home.”

\-------------------------------------------

Shiro scanned the dark landscape surrounding him.

Haggar, as he now knew her to be, hadn’t been back since she unlocked his memories for him and forced a year of pain onto him in mere moments. Her people had held him and his brother captive for almost a year, forcing them to fight and absorb magic from other magical creatures to fortify themselves.

Shiro was going to be the sacrifice until Matt unintentionally saved him.

What had happened Kuro? Shiro could have sworn he saw him back when…when Zarkon had forced him to attack his friends. To attack _Matt_.

He needed to get back to them.

He could see now what Haggar was doing with his body, ordering her people around as they planned for battle. Allura had been right to be concerned about the Galran empire. Their king had lost his mind if he thought it was possible to bind a goddess to himself. Haggar was going along with it now, but only because it fed her never-ending hunger.

Shiro ignored the organized chaos going on outside as he focused his mind inwards, grasping for his connection with his partner.

Matt’s side of the bond was a bright orange, bursting with power and intelligence. It was fitting, considering orange was his favourite colour. It burned brightly behind the barrier, the light piercing through the small chips he’d managed to dig into it. It was exhausting work trying to reach out to Matt without Haggar discovering what he was doing.

He chipped away at the wall, glancing around anxiously every few beats, keeping an eye out for her. He might only get one opportunity to get a message to Matt. He didn’t want to waste it, but he also didn’t want to give Haggar enough time to gather together her army.

He had no idea how much time was passing. Haggar didn’t seem to need to sleep and neither did Shiro, not in this strange place.

He dug his prosthetic into the barrier, scraping it away little by little. Almost…there…

He slipped his hand through the small hole he made, reaching for that bright orange light…

Dread trickled down his spine as a cold breath brushed against the back of his neck.

“ ** _That is enough of that,_** ” Haggar hissed, clawed fingers digging painfully into his back.

He was so close…he just…needed to…

Agony burned down his back as she dragged her hands, down, down, down, searing into his skin like boiling knives. He gritted his teeth, ignoring the pain and reaching for that familiar glow.

His fingers brushed the light in a soft caress just as Haggar yanked him back, but she couldn’t stop him.

“ _Matt!_ ” He gasped, using all of his energy to direct a message to him.   

Shiro grunted as he fell back to the ground, pain shooting through the cuts on his back as Haggar glared down at him.

“ ** _You should not have done that, boy._** ” She leaned in close to him, holding him down with more tendrils of purple ribbons. “ ** _Now I need to break you all the more quickly._** ”

\-------------------------------------------

Matt looked around the evacuated town of Arus. It was a small area, only slightly bigger than Oriande. He’d come with only a few people: Lance, Keith, Pidge, Hunk, Allura, Lotor, Romelle, Ulaz and Kuro. Any more than that and they’d ruin their plans. They’d taken all the townsfolk to safety, but there didn’t seem to be any sort of army in sight.

Perfect.

“I don’t understand,” Lance said, squinting as he blocked out the sun with his hand to scan the area. “I thought she was building an army? How are we supposed to fight an army and a goddess? There’s only a handful of us!”

“We’re not going to fight an army. Just a goddess.”

Lance continued on as if he hadn’t heard him. “I mean, I know we have a dragon. Keith is pretty badass, I’m just sayin’. But, like, _a goddess_? How the hell do you fight a goddess?”

“If we get rid of Haggar we’ll destroy their morale,” Ulaz nodded approvingly, though he kept close to Kuro. “The undercover Blade operatives are ready at your signal, Your Majesty.”

“Hold off until she appears. We will keep her busy enough for them to get in and out quietly,” Allura ordered, adjusting the string on her bow. “If they can free those being held captive, then we won’t have to worry about them being used against us.” 

“B-but how are we going to get her here alone?” Hunk asked, checking and double-checking his stash of potions.

Matt grinned. “Shiro has our backs.”

\-------------------------------------------

“ ** _Just give in, Takashi Shirogane. Join me and together we can destroy everyone. No one will have to suffer._** ”

Shiro gasped for breath as Haggar’s weight pressed down on him. Intellectually, he knew she wouldn’t kill him. Not when she wanted him to grant her full access to his body. It didn’t make it any easier to deal with, though.

He just needed to last a little bit longer.

“What happens if…if I say yes?”

Haggar paused, considering him. “ ** _We take what is rightfully ours._** ”

Shiro frowned.

“ ** _This world has been moving further and further away from the gods. Shrines crumble into dust and their gods fall with them. Our power comes from those who believe and pay homage to us. We feed off their faith._** ”

Haggar leaned closer. “ ** _I will not sit around and let myself disappear. I will not let them forget._** ”

Shiro swallowed carefully, sweat soaking his back as he waited for the right moment.

“ ** _If I have to burn cities to the ground, I will do it and I will carve my name into the very earth so that they never question me again._** ”

Shiro looked up at her slowly, taking in her glowing yellow eyes burning fiercely with hunger. She would never be satisfied. Not until every last non-believer was wiped from this world.

He reached for her. “Too bad that’ll never happen.”

Sensing his plans, she tried to jerk back but was too slow. Shiro gripped her robe and focused all his energy into teleporting.

Right to Arus and the group of people waiting for them there.

Haggar disappeared from Shiro’s mindscape, fury and anger radiating around him as their body was suddenly hit with an onslaught of attacks.

Vines twisted around their ankles, holding them in place as a potion crashing into their chest, splashing golden brown ichor that hung on them like molasses, weighing down their limbs and making it difficult to move. Bright light sprung up around them, glowing with holy energies as a dragon roared threateningly above them.

Shiro’s heart swelled at the sight of his friends coming to his aid. 

“Let Shiro go,” Matt demanded, stepping forward with his hands already aglow with power. Shiro desperately wanted to reach out to him, but he was still trapped within his own mind. 

Haggar looked at Matt. “ ** _A clever plan you have concocted, but ultimately a waste. You know not who you deal with, mage._** ”

Matt grinned. “I might not have fought a goddess before, but I’m pretty excited to try.”

Haggar swept their hand in an arc. Black ooze dripped from her fingers like blood and splashed, steaming on the grass. The ooze coalesced into a large puddle, rolling along the ground and burning everything in its wake. The vines withered away just as the golden-brown ichor melted into nothingness.

Matt launched a volley of ice shards at them, but they stopped in midair as Haggar flicked their wrist and the shard’s shadows quivered, seemingly pulling the shards off course and forcing them towards Matt’s allies instead.

Romelle was forced to dodge to the side and her glowing holy circle disintegrated as she lost concentration.

The black ooze stretched out, forming a dozen inky black soldiers with pikes. They launched themselves at the group, weapons swinging in a dangerous display as the others desperately tried to push them back.

Shiro felt despair well up in his chest. She was way too strong for them. They were going to die here if he didn’t do something.

Haggar stepped forward, purple shadows drifting from their shared body like smoke, launching a barrage of purple fire at Matt. Matt countered with a blast of snowy ice, the only one who seemed to be able to hold his own against the goddess. Shiro had always known he was strong, even without the golden light, but this put everything into a whole new perspective for him.

Hunk cried out as one of the ooze soldiers sent him to the ground, an audible snap signifying _something_ was broken. Pidge stepped up beside him, knocking the soldier back with a wave of earth. The ooze splattered but instead of staying down it separated into two new soldiers.

“Matt!” Pidge yelled, turning to launch a fire ball at another ooze but she was cut off with a cry of pain as Haggar blasted the area with a wave of demonic energy.

Her attack knocked out her own oozes, but just as before they sprung up, tripled in number and quickly turning into an overwhelming force.

“We need to retreat!” Allura called out, arrows launching at an alarming rate as Romelle blessed them with holy power and Lotor swung his sword to protect them.

Kuro growled fiercely, launching himself at another soldier that was attempting to stab Ulaz.

Above, Keith roared, a blast of fire searing through more oozes but they just kept multiplying.

The ooze coalesced into a giant wave of black ichor, towering over the group like a tidal wave, ready to crush them beneath its weight.

Golden fire blasted a hole right through the wave, so bright it burned away the remnants, making it impossible for them to reform.

Matt stood like an angel of retribution, hair floating lazily around him as his eyes blazed with golden fury.

Haggar paused, clearly intrigued by this show of force. Shiro struggled, teeth clenched as their shared body hummed with power. This level of force was familiar to him, but not the same. It was infused with darkness, empty and cold.

It was nothing like Matt’s burning fire.

Haggar launched a thousand purple whips towards Matt and Shiro watched in horror as they wrapped around his partner. Matt didn’t even flinch, his golden eyes still as emotionless as ever. Purple lightning arced along the whips, flickering with electricity as they touched Matt’s skin.

Matt cried out.

She was hurting him, even in that state. Shiro had never seen that before, not in all the time that he had known him.

Matt sunk to his knees, just barely catching himself on the dirty ground as the lightning sizzled across his skin.

Shiro clenched his fist. He couldn’t just stand and watch. He needed to do _something_.

He took a deep breath. He closed his eyes, blocking out the dark swirls around him as he focused. She was in his body. It didn’t belong to her. Matt had given him his own autonomy. He’d stood up for him, fought for him, struggled for _him_. Shiro would return that belief.

He wasn’t going to give up.

Something sparked in his mind’s eye, so small he almost missed it. He fixated on it, as if blowing softly onto a spark, coaxing it to life. It grew, flickering as the light intensified. It split off into a million tiny orbs, twirling around him like fireflies before coalescing into a steady stream, sinking into his right arm. It exploded with a bright purple light, humming with strength. His fist thrummed, urging him on. 

With a desperate yell, Shiro slammed his fist into the ground.

Haggar screamed.

The whips retreated from Matt, disappearing into wisps of smoke and ash. Haggar clutched at Shiro’s head, shaking it back and forth as she took an unconscious step back.

Shiro poured everything he could into this one attack. The swirling walls around him trembled, like a terrifying earthquake as the ground cracked beneath his fist, bubbling up with white lava that seemed to cleanse away the darkness.

He was doing it. He was-

A cold shiver raced down his spine, sending the hairs on the back of his neck rising.

“ ** _And just what do you think you are doing?_** ”

She was back, her claw-like hands digging into the flesh of his chest, scraping down, down, down, burning, always burning.

Shiro sneered.

“I’m the distraction, bitch.”

For just a split second, Haggar’s eyes widened in surprise.

Outside, Matt’s glowing gold staff pierced right through their shared chest.

Haggar screamed, a horrifying sound like a thousand nails scraping across a chalkboard. The cracks Shiro had created with his attack glowed with a searing golden light, ripping through the purple at a startling pace. Haggar grasped at him, desperate, claws scraping and tearing while black blood oozed from her mouth, from her chest, right where Matt had stabbed them.

**_“Let me in, say yes and I can stop this! He is killing us!”_ **

Shiro opened his mouth, laughter bubbling up in his throat, but instead he coughed, blood spraying out in a fine mist as pain lanced across his own chest. He looked down, dazed yet unsurprised to see the gaping hole in his own chest.

He did laugh then, a humourless chuckle that he couldn’t stop. The golden light continued to spread, wiping away the darkness like the flames of retribution. The strength of it was overwhelming, ringing in his ears with finality.

Haggar stepped away, trying to run, but they were surrounded. Shiro closed his eyes against the brilliant gold as it washed over them both, swallowing up Haggar’s screams even as Shiro himself smiled.

\-------------------------------------------

“Matt!”

Matt groaned, struggling to open his eyes as pain lanced through his body with every breath. Fuck.

“Did someone get the name of the mountain that fell on me?” He mumbled, pushing away the hands gripping at him.

“Matt!” Pidge’s voice trembled and-what? No, why was she upset?

Matt struggled to open his eyes, fighting against the fatigue weighing him down. He’d never felt this tired after the light took over. What had happened?

“Matt! It’s Shiro, he’s-” Pidge cut off with a choked sob, fingers trembling against his wrist.

Shiro?

Shiro! He could feel him again!

Matt’s eyes snapped open. His vision was blurry, but a couple blinks took care of that and he was able to focus on Pidge’s worried face. Pidge helped him sit up and Matt tried not to lean on her as much as he wanted to. Fuck. His muscles were all clamped up, like he’d had a seizure or something.

“Sh-ro?” He slurred, frowning as he tried to reboot his damned brain.

Pidge swallowed carefully, leading him forward a few steps. Matt’s muscles slowly responded with each step, as if they too were trying to wake up.

Up ahead, Matt could just make out the crumbled form of Shiro, his black hair now completely taken over by white. Matt didn’t need Shiro’s keen senses to smell the metallic scent of blood and he quickened his steps.

Matt sank to his knees next to him, turning him slightly so he could rest Shiro’s head on his knees.

Shiro coughed, flecks of blood misting in front of his face. “M…att…”

Matt swallowed back the lump in his throat. He brushed Shiro’s hair out of his eyes, taking in his handsome face unmarred by Haggar’s scowl.

“Takashi…”

Shiro blinked up at him, clearly surprised to hear his first name. “You…saved me…again…”

Matt laughed, the sound so far from happy he might as well be crying. The sound was wet, and he closed his eyes, trying not to let the tears escape. “This isn’t saving you, Shiro, this-”

Matt cut off as a finger pressed against his lips gently.

“Shh,” Shiro hushed him, blinking slowly. “I would rather…this…than her …”

Matt choked, leaning forward to press his forehead against Shiro’s. His partner smiled softly, leaning into the touch as best he could. Matt had always dreamed of seeing Shiro in his human form again, but not like this. Never like this. He wanted him to be happy. Healthy.

Alive.

Instead Matt had failed yet again.

And, as usual, Shiro paid the price.

“I’m sorry Shiro,” he sobbed. “I’m so sorry-” 

“M…att…” Shiro whispered, eyes closed as his hand settled on Matt’s cheek. “I…”

Matt gripped his hand, shaking his head slowly. “Shiro, don’t you dare leave me. You hear me? Don’t-”

Shiro pulled Matt down that last inch, pressing his lips into Matt’s softly and Matt…

Matt broke.

Tears streamed down his face as he kissed lips he’d thought about kissing for so goddamn long it made his heart ache to think about it. Shiro was his best friend. His confidant. His partner. He was Shiro’s and Shiro was his.

He couldn’t imagine him not being by his side.

Shiro pulled back, unable to hold his head up any longer. Matt could feel him slipping away. He tried to reach for him, mentally, but it was like gripping air.

Shiro’s mouth struggled to form words, but he couldn’t seem to get them out. His hand slipped from Matt’s grip, weak and cold and- no. No. This wasn’t-

“ _I love you, Matt…_ ”

Matt curled around him, fingers gripping the tattered remains of his shirt as Shiro went unnaturally still. All of his power, all his brains, and in the end all he could do was watch. Shiro was dead and it was Matt’s fault. He couldn’t control this power within him. He let it run rampant even as others warned him to contain it.

“ ** _This is not justice…_** ” A new voice whispered, soft and yet powerful. “ ** _I have failed you…_** ”

What?

Before Matt could even contemplate the strange voice, power bubbled up in him, familiar and yet…different. It seared through his veins so quickly it shot past pain and into numbness, bursting from him in a shock of golden brilliance.

He expected the usual static to overtake his vision.

Instead, a figure glowed white in the blazing light.

“ ** _We have a pact, you and I. A pact_** he ** _joined when he pledged himself to you. He is mine, just as you are. And I am not finished with either of you yet._** ”

Matt screamed as the light blinded him.

\-------------------------------------------

_23 Years Ago_

_Matt hopped over a fallen tree, waving his imaginary staff at his nemesis._

_“You can’t escape! I will defend His Majesty!” He yelled, stomping his tiny feet in a puddle of water. In his head, the water coalesced into a magnificent hurricane, barrelling towards the invading army and destroying their line._

_He raced forward, weaving through the trees as the leaves fluttered around him, whacking the trees with his ‘staff’. He was the best Circle mage to ever roam this land! The king would give him a medal because of his heroism!_

_As Matt moved deeper into the forest, he noticed some nearby bushes rustle. He paused, curious. It didn’t take long for a small rabbit to hop out of it, nose twitching in the air as it shifted nervously._

_Matt grinned._

_“So we meet at last, Meklevar.” He pointed his staff at the rabbit. “Only one of us is leaving this battlefield alive. En garde!”_

_With his best battle cry, Matt ran after the rabbit. The animal hopped away much faster than he expected, leaping over fallen logs and bushes of berries with ease. Matt clambered after it, refusing to let his enemy escape._

_He was so intent on chasing down the rabbit that he didn’t realize how far into the forest he had gone. The rabbit scooted into a bush and Matt fell to his hands and knees, watching as the furry creature disappeared into a small hole in the ground._

_“You can’t escape me that easily, Meklavar!” He yelled, scooting forward to stick his hand in the hole, groping for the creature._

_He grasped a handful of dirt and roots, but there was no sign of the soft, fluffy fur he’d seen before._

_No. He wasn’t going to give up! Daddy said to always try your best and if you fail just get up and try, try again. Matt wasn’t a quitter!_

_He dropped his makeshift staff sticking his other hand into the hole as well, pulling away handfuls of dirt as he dug into the ground. His questing fingers scraped up against something hard and rough, like a jagged rock, and suddenly a burst of golden light erupted from the hole, sending Matt flailing back onto his butt._

_The ground beneath him shook, so strong he couldn’t stand up without falling over again. Desperate, he tried to reach for a nearby bush, but he wasn’t fast enough. The ground beneath him fell away like sand through an hourglass, swallowing him whole._

_Thankfully he didn’t fall far, landing on his back in the middle of group of stone pillars just slightly taller than he was. Dirt and moss rained down around him, covering him and the pillars in a thin layer of grime._

_Oh no, mommy said she didn’t want him coming home all dirty again. She was going to be so mad! She might even make him wash dishes for a week for this!_

_Scrambling to his feet, Matt looked at the pillars. There were strange symbols etched into their surface and if he listened_ really _closely, he could hear them humming._

_Matt brushed off his clothes as best he could as he surveyed the pillars. The were arranged in a semi-circle, surrounding a crumbling platform housing a small statue of a white lion. The lion’s eyes were a golden colour, so bright against the drab and dark hole they were in._

_This was so cool! It was like he’d found some kind of arch…archem…archeolo…old site. Like what mommy did! She visited old places and researched them! Maybe he could show her this place and she wouldn’t be mad at him for getting his clothes dirty!_

_Matt poked one of the nearby pillars._

_The humming stopped._

_“Hello?” Matt called out, louder than he intended._

_Whispers floated past his ears, too faint to understand._

_“My daddy said whispering is rude!” Matt yelled, frowning._

_The whispering continued, like a hoard of bees buzzing in Matt’s ears. It was kind of making it difficult to concentrate. He glared at the pillars, but they continued to do nothing interesting._

_Instead, Matt marched up to the lion, peering at its golden eyes. They glowed faintly in the dark and Matt kind of wanted to touch them. In fact, he couldn’t take his own eyes off of them. The longer he looked at them, the more the glow flickered and twisted like a flame. He was mesmerized._

_Matt reached forward. Everything around him faded until all he could see was the golden light. He wanted to touch it. He_ needed _to touch it._

_His fingers brushed up against the cold stone of the lion, but he couldn’t feel it. All he could feel was heat, so intense it shot past pain into nothingness. He opened his mouth to scream but the golden light cut it off, sinking into his mouth, into his eyes, into his_ skin _, searing and burning and soothing all at once. It hurt and yet it didn’t, as if the pain was wiped away before he could register it._

_“ **Not what I was expecting,** ” A voice murmured._

_Matt blinked._

_He was still in the hole, still surrounded by the pillars and the lion statue. But the world was suddenly outlined in shades of blue. It shone so brightly but it didn’t hurt his eyes._

_“ **You are young, but there is much potential in you.** ” _

_Matt turned, coming face-to-face with a goddess._

_She was resplendent in white and gold armour, her flowing platinum hair cascading down her back in waves. Her eyes glowed a bright gold, beautiful and wise and sharp as a knife. She surveyed him, lips thinning._

_“ **I am Atlas, goddess of Justice and Retribution** ,” she said, taking a gliding step towards him. Matt was frozen. “ **You will be my Champion.** ” _

_Champion? Like a hero? Matt really wanted to be a hero. He wanted to travel the world and learn all sorts of things. He wanted to make mommy and daddy proud._

_“ **Yes, you have a destiny to fulfill. Let us fulfill it together.** ” She reached for him, her strong fingers warm and inviting. _

_Justice. Justice was a good thing, right? Matt wasn’t sure what retribution meant, but justice, justice was good. Justice helped people who had been wronged._

_Justice stood for peace._

_Matt reached forward._

_And then there was nothing._

\-------------------------------------------

_Present_

Voices clamored over each other, a loud cacophony of sound that was oddly muted in Matt’s ears.

Matt was standing over Shiro, hands outstretched over him as golden rain fell around them. It was pouring, they should all be soaking wet, but instead the golden water sunk into everyone’s flesh with a soft glow, spreading over them and swallowing up wounds within minutes. A gash over Pidge’s eye disappeared, smoothing away as if it never existed. Hunk’s arm snapped back into place, seemingly without any kind of pain to the alchemist.

Lance hovered over Keith, helping him to his feet as his cuts closed up. Kuro sniffed at Ulaz with a soft whimper and the man pulled him into an embrace as their wounds disappeared.

Allura closed her eyes as the rain washed away the blood from her face, smiling as Romelle and Lotor each grabbed her hands, their own wounds gone. 

Atlas.

In front of him, Shiro was glowing brightly, his body soaking up the golden rain faster than it could fall. Matt would hold his breath if Atlas wasn’t breathing for him.

Instead, Matt dared to hope.

“ ** _Go…_** ”

Matt didn’t need to be told twice. He could feel Atlas relinquishing control as the rain slowly petered out, leaving Shiro looking pristine as he lay on the ground. Matt reached for him.

Shiro’s hand shot up, gripping Matt’s wrist without even opening his eyes. He pulled Matt toward him and the mage yelped in surprise, falling forward onto Shiro’s substantial chest, holy fuck. Strong arms wrapped around him, warm and somehow familiar.

It felt like home.

Love enveloped him through their bond, so intense, so all-consuming tears welled up once more in his eyes. Matt choked, gripping Shiro’s face and peppering it with more kisses, sending a wave of love right back at him.

Shiro laughed, fingers tightening on Matt’s shirt as he accepted the bombardment. The sound was the sweetest song Matt had ever heard. Shiro was alive. Shiro was _alive_.

“I love you, you dummy,” Matt whispered, capturing those lips in a fevered kiss, unwilling to let him go.

Except, he kind of did have to let him go because Kuro stepped up towards them, strangely hesitant.

“Shiro?”

Matt scrambled off his partner, pulling him to his feet so he could shove him into his twin’s arms.

“Kuro…” Shiro whispered, fingers clutching to Kuro’s shirt as they hugged tightly. Matt was not gonna tear up, he was not gonna tear up, he was not-

Dammit.

“Your Majesty,” Ulaz said softly, nodding to Allura as she sniffled at the scene. “The Blades have confirmed they freed the prisoners and the Galra army is fleeing as we speak.”

“Excellent. You and your team are welcomed guests at the castle. I think a couple of days of rest is in order. Perhaps afterwards we could discuss how to come to a peace agreement with your country?”

Ulaz blinked in surprise. “We…would be amenable to that, Your Majesty.”

Matt watched as Shiro and Kuro pressed their foreheads together, eyes closed before Shiro turned back to Matt with a soft smile.

They had a lot of catching up to do, but Matt would stick with Shiro through it all.

They were in this together.

Always.

\-------------------------------------------

_1 Year Later_

“What do you think, Shiro?”

“I think he’s guilty.”

“Shiro, my savoury sweet roll, I think you are absolutely correct.” Matt grinned, tapping his finger on the spine of the Big Book of Criminals. “Someone has been very naughty.”

Shiro scrunched up his nose. “Don’t say it like that, Matt.”

“Like what? Naughty?” The mage’s grin turned sly. “Does it turn you on?”

“No.”

“I think it dooooes,” Matt sing-songed with a wink. “I think-“  


“As your prisoner, I feel this is very unprofessional.”

Matt sent their captive a withering glare. “Shut up, Gary, no one cares what you think.”

Shiro sighed. “Look, Gary, just tell us what we need to know and this whole process will go a lot more smoothly.”

“I ain’t got nothin’ to say to you.”

Matt grinned, giving the man a salacious wink. “I love it when you criminals play hard to get.”

“I’m not-”

An arrow thumped loudly into the grass about two feet away. Matt looked up to see a group of bandits baring down on them, faces furious as they attempted to rescue their comrade.

Matt turned to Shiro. “Oh, we have company.”

“I told you we should have taken him back for questioning.”

“Well, now we can bring back all of them. Ready to play good cop, bad cop?”

Amusement swelled through their bond as Shiro transformed, slipping into his wolf form with practiced ease. The scars that had been on his body had disappeared, leaving his coat a pristine white. His mismatched eyes were now both gold, a souvenir of Atlas.

“Sick ‘em, big guy.”

“ _As you wish_.”

**Author's Note:**

> Please feel free to talk to me about Voltron on [Tumblr](http://eilera-chan.tumblr.com/). :)
> 
> Please also check out the other fics and artwork within the [Shatt Big Bang](https://shattbigbang.tumblr.com/)! I promise you, you won't be disappointed.


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